Opportunity: The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) Microreactor Program (MRP) and Idaho National Laboratory are looking for partners and early testers to leverage The Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL) project to perform research and development on various operational features of microreactors. With plans to have the reactor operational in late 2024, INL and MRP are seeking commercial and other partners to utilize the MARVEL microreactor itself as well as heat and electricity generated on a microgrid to conduct live testing and demonstrations of their novel technologies, equipment, and processes. Note that in general, research and development that alters the MARVEL safety basis will not be considered.

What is the MARVEL Project?

As part of the DOE Microreactor Program, INL is developing a nuclear microreactor applications test bed to perform research and development on various operational features of microreactors and enable improved integration of microreactors with end-user applications. The program conducts both fundamental and applied R&D to reduce the risks associated with new technology performance and manufacturing readiness of microreactors. The intent is to ensure that microreactor concepts can be licensed and deployed by commercial entities to meet specific use case requirements.

Benefits

• Early Engagement allows for adjustment of MARVEL capabilities to meet partner needs.


• Microgrid infrastructure will allow for the utilization of nuclear energy, renewable energy, inverter controls and island functions, load following, battery storage and charging, and industrial heat to generate a realistic nuclear microgrid test environment.


• Access for R&D specific to certain reactor technologies to ensure relevancy and address industry needs


• Opportunity to share feedback and experienced gained with other commercial partners

Example Applications – Including but not limited to:

• Electric microgrid
  
  
  
  • Load Following Electricity Demand
  
  
  
  


• Industrial process heat for
  
  
  
  • Hydrogen Production
  
  
  • Water Purification
  
  
  • District heating
  
  
  
  


• Microreactor Design, Assembly, Deployment and Operation

Contact

For more information, please reach out to Javier Martinez (Email: Javier.Martinez@inl.gov).