The race to build the first commercial advanced nuclear reactor features startups, established manufacturers, and…. a defense contractor that’s been building submarine reactors for 70 years. BWX Technologies (BWXT) has commercial reactor designs ready whenever they feel like it, which apparently isn’t yet.
They’ve manufactured nuclear reactors since the USS Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine, in the 1950s. Today, their reactors power every Ohio, Virginia, Seawolf, and Los Angeles-class submarine in the U.S. Navy, plus every nuclear aircraft carrier. They have $2.61 billion in Navy contracts and more under construction.
BWXT knows how to navigate the complex intersection of nuclear regulation, manufacturing, and operation. They’ve been doing it for seven decades. But if they build microreactors all the time, why haven’t they come out with a commerical version?
Well, it exists — just not high on the priority list. BWXT’s entry in the advanced reactor race is called BANR (BWXT Advanced Nuclear Reactor), a 50 megawatt thermal high-temperature gas reactor designed to provide industrial process heat and electricity for mining, oil and gas production, municipalities, data centers, and campuses. It uses TRISO fuel and helium coolant. The entire unit is modular and factory-built, designed for transport by rail, ship, or truck.
As of October 2025, they haven’t filed any permit applications with the NRC, and they have no announced timeline for commercial deployment. This isn’t because the technology isn’t ready or because they lack capability. It’s because commercial nuclear markets are uncertain, regulatory pathways for novel designs are time-consuming, and building submarine reactors is more profitable. BWXT can build BANR whenever market conditions justify the investment. Until then, they’re content to wait.
Now, BWXT is building a microreactor, just not for commercial customers. Project Pele is a 1.5 megawatt demonstration microreactor for the Department of Defense that fits into four 20-foot shipping containers. It’s expected to achieve criticality by 2028 and will power military bases for up to three years without refueling. The military doesn’t care about market disruption or venture capital — they care about reliable power in locations where diesel supply chains are vulnerable or expensive.
Aside from reactors, BWXT is building critical infrastructure for the entire advanced nuclear sector. In July 2025, they completed installation of advanced TRISO fuel manufacturing equipment in Virginia. This facility is now producing commercial quantities of TRISO fuel, which several other advanced reactor companies will use in their designs.
The company was selected in December 2020 for the Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, receiving an initial $30 million grant. They’ve been conducting feasibility studies since then, including a two-year contract with the Wyoming Energy Authority completed in 2025 to evaluate microreactor deployment in a former coal town called Kemmerer.
The Assessment
If they one day decide that commercial reactor deployment makes sense, they can file permit applications and get approved quickly. The NRC knows them and trusts their manufacturing quality, which is far more than others can say. If commercial markets aren’t the success they’re slated to be, BWXT may never enter at all.
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