Idaho National Laboratory’s MARVEL project has reached a pivotal development phase following DOE approval of its safety blueprint, a move that provides a standardized template for the next generation of commercial microreactors.
The Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis, or PDSA, approval allows researchers to advance toward testing of the MARVEL system, short for Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation, a small-scale nuclear reactor designed to support research, technology demonstrations and industry experimentation.
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What Is the MARVEL Microreactor Project?
Developed under the DOE Microreactor Program, MARVEL uses a sodium-potassium coolant and is designed to generate roughly 85 kW to 100 kW of thermal energy and about 20 kW of electricity. Researchers will use the system to study microreactor behavior and evaluate potential applications, including combining the MARVEL reactor with a modular data center and using it to evaluate high-performance sensor systems that could help track the performance of advanced reactors.
MARVEL, expected to be operational by late 2027, will eventually connect to INL’s nuclear microgrid.
What Does the DOE Safety Approval Enable?
The PDSA defines the safety framework for MARVEL’s first experimental configuration. The initial phase will involve a dry criticality test, a controlled, near-zero-power experiment that enables researchers to examine how the reactor core behaves before progressing to higher-power operations.
“This is more than just a regulatory requirement — it’s a blueprint for the future of advanced nuclear,” said Abdalla Abou-Jaoude, MARVEL microreactor lead at INL.
“By receiving approval for our safety documentation, we are now able to share this template with developers to learn from our process and streamline their own timelines,” he added.
The next stage of the program will focus on completing final safety documentation, assembling the reactor system and preparing for fuel loading as the demonstration moves closer to operational testing.
Which Teams Are Selected to Conduct MARVEL Experiments?
INL previously selected five teams — Amazon Web Services; DCX USA and Arizona State University; General Electric Vernova; Radiation Detection Technologies; and Shepherd Power, NOV and ConocoPhillips — to conduct early research projects using the reactor testbed.
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