Image Courtesy: Deployable Energy

Utah is exploring the potential deployment of compact nuclear reactors that can generate 1 megawatt of electricity while fitting inside a standard 20-foot shipping container, as the state looks to expand its advanced nuclear energy infrastructure.

The technology comes from Houston-based Deployable Energy, which signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Utah’s Office of Energy Development on August 18. The agreement creates a framework for the two sides to examine research, testing, demonstration and potential commercial deployment of the company’s Unity Nuclear Battery.

The factory-built microreactor is designed to produce 1 megawatt of electrical power and can be transported using conventional equipment. Deployable Energy envisions the units operating at conventional facilities as well as remote locations where building traditional power infrastructure could be difficult or expensive.

The company says the reactor uses low-enriched uranium dioxide fuel and helium cooling, with a design based on established materials and manufacturing processes. Multiple units can also be combined into larger arrays, potentially allowing the system to scale from individual megawatt installations to much larger power projects.

Unity has already passed an important development milestone. On June 30, the company’s demonstration reactor achieved initial criticality at Idaho National Laboratory, meaning its nuclear chain reaction became self-sustaining. The test was conducted with INL and marked the third U.S. reactor to reach criticality ahead of a July 4 Department of Energy target.

The achievement does not mean the reactor is ready for commercial deployment. Deployable Energy says the next phase will involve testing reactor physics, load following, inherent safety and full-power operation. The results will help support future licensing and commercialization.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is already conducting pre-application activities for Unity, including discussions concerning its siting, construction and operation. The NRC describes the design as a 1 MWe gas-cooled microreactor intended for remote, distributed and behind-the-meter applications.

Deployable Energy has said it aims to mass-manufacture the reactors in factories and eventually offer them as plug-and-play power systems. The company is targeting commercial availability around 2030, although that timeline will depend on testing, regulatory approval and deployment requirements.

For Utah, the new agreement is an exploration rather than an approval to build reactors. It gives the state and company a framework to determine whether and where the technology could eventually be deployed.