ADVANCED MICROREACTORS
ARCTIC DEPLOYMENT WORKSHOP

The Advanced Microreactors Arctic Deployment Workshop will convene federal government senior leaders, scientific and technical experts, operators, and infrastructure practitioners to assess the applied research and development needed to support deployment of advanced nuclear microreactors in strategic Arctic environments.

The workshop will focus on the operational and technical aspects of Arctic deployment for Department of War applications, while also considering anticipated commercial “fast followers.”

Arctic and remote installations face persistent challenges associated with extreme cold, limited infrastructure, seasonal accessibility, and long, fragile supply chains. These locations often have elevated energy demands due to heating requirements. Advanced microreactor technologies can improve energy resilience, reduce logistical burden, and support sustained operations. Arctic deployment of these technologies introduces significant engineering, infrastructure, environmental, operational, and regulatory considerations that require coordinated research and development across the government, industry, and academia collaborative.

To frame these discussions, the workshop will facilitate a tabletop exercise that examines scenario-based deployments of representative advanced microreactor technologies in an Arctic environment (Figure 1). The exercise will walk participants through the full deployment life cycle, including site selection and characterization, transportation and logistics, civil works and site preparation, construction and commissioning, integration with local infrastructure and microgrids, operations and maintenance, emergency response considerations, and eventual decommissioning and site restoration.

The tabletop format will ground discussions in realistic operational conditions and identify critical gaps, technical challenges, and research requirements unique to Arctic deployment environments.

Participants in this federal workshop will include both technical experts and experienced operators from two key communities: (1) advanced nuclear energy development, and (2) Arctic infrastructure deployment and operations. This approach is designed to ensure discussions remain technically rigorous while also reflecting the realities of Arctic construction, logistics, sustainment, environmental conditions, and mission execution.

In addition to the tabletop exercise, the workshop participants will discuss broader strategic questions associated with Arctic deployment. Topics will include whether a dedicated cold-regions or Arctic test bed environment is needed to support future reactor demonstration, testing, and operational validation efforts, and strategies to engage commercial “fast followers” and dual-use industry partners to accelerate deployment and transition pathways. These discussions are intended to help inform future collaborative research, demonstration, and capability development efforts.

The workshop will also include site visits to provide participants direct exposure to Arctic infrastructure and environmental considerations. Planned visits include a site at Fort Wainwright that is being evaluated as a potential reactor deployment location, a tour of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Permafrost Research Tunnel, and Arctic infrastructure and technology exhibits from Project JANUS with reactor vendors currently under contract (Figure 2). Together, these activities will connect strategic discussions with real-world operational environments and emerging technology capabilities to inform research and development requirements.