The partnership also intends to explore opportunities for future deployment on NATO military installations.
The research and development partnership, signed by Last Energy CEO Bret Kugelmass and NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence director Colonel Darius Uzkuraitis, marks the first agreement between the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence and a nuclear energy company.
“Based on our conversations with the United States Department of Defense, many bases could feasibly rely on a micro-nuclear plant as their sole power provider, but not all,” said Ryan Duncan, director of government relations at Last Energy. “One of the goals for our research is to determine to what extent micro reactors can be a standalone solution for NATO bases."
Founded in 2012, ENSEC COE works with partners in industry, academia, and government to research and develop solutions for NATO militaries to ensure energy resilience and efficiency as well as critical energy infrastructure safety.
Under the terms of the partnership, both parties agree to work on joint projects around nuclear energy applications for NATO military installations and operations.
The Centre’s partnership with Last Energy is said to be part of a broader pivot by NATO toward prioritising energy security.
"Specific NATO militaries aside, the broader Western national security community clearly understands the merits of micro-nuclear development - specifically that it offers a fast and affordable path to energy security and doesn’t require the same kind of massive investments in land and storage that go along with renewables,” said Duncan.
To date, Last Energy has commercial agreements for over 65 units across Europe.
Last Energy said its PWR-20 can be factory fabricated, transported, and assembled on-site within 24 months.
The PWR-20 is comprised of a few dozen modules that snap together and are sized to serve - and be co-located by - industrial entities including automotive manufacturing plants, pulp and paper factories, and data centres.
A single unit produces 20MWe or 80MWt, but Last Energy said it can scale its output to meet the needs of the offtaker.
“Our goal is to help NATO form a holistic plan to deploy nuclear power on military installations,” said Duncan. “We obviously think that includes Last Energy’s technology, but the partnership exists to identify a range of nuclear power solutions that can meet NATO’s range of energy needs."
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