弗吉尼亚州林奇堡 —— BWXT创新园区的制造车间一片寂静。在远端，反应堆核心高悬于地面之上，裹着看似塑料的材料，宛如核能的祭坛般矗立。
LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA — The build room at BWXT's Innovation Campus was quiet. On the far end, perched above the ground and cloaked in what looked like plastic, the reactor core stood like an altar to nuclear energy.
就在几周前，施工人员安装了核心筒体，将其通过屋顶的舱口缓缓降下。这一举措让“佩莱计划”，以及军用能源的未来，更进一步接近现实。"我们确实已经进入了制造和组装阶段，"政府微反应堆总监查尔斯·格雷夫斯告诉Axios。"纸上谈兵的反应堆与走到这一步，有着天壤之别。"
Just weeks ago, crews installed the core barrel, lowering it through a hatch in the roof. That pushed Project Pele, and potentially the future of military energy, one step closer to realization. "We are, truly, into the fabrication and assembly cycle," Charles Graves, director of government microreactors, told Axios. "There is a huge difference between looking at a paper reactor and getting to a point like this."
大背景是：2022年，BWXT被国防部战略能力办公室选中，开发并部署一种移动微反应堆，能够为偏远地区的部队及其装备提供能源。
The big picture: BWXT was selected by the Defense Department's Strategic Capabilities Office in 2022 to develop and deploy a mobile microreactor capable of energizing troops and their gear in remote locations.
相关工作主要集中在此地，即位于詹姆斯河畔的一处围栏设施内，距华盛顿西南方向约三小时车程。（其他参与方包括诺斯罗普·格鲁曼公司、劳斯莱斯自由工坊和托奇科技公司。）该系统明年将被运往爱达荷国家实验室，在那里进行装料、测试并运行三年。
Much of that work is concentrated here, at a fenced-off facility along the James River, about three hours southwest of Washington. (Contributors elsewhere include Northrop Grumman, Rolls-Royce LibertyWorks and Torch Technologies.) The system will next year be shipped to Idaho National Laboratory, where it will be fueled, tested and operated for three years.
该实验室于2024年破土动工。格雷夫斯表示，工地建设"进展顺利。"
Ground there was broken in 2024. Graves said the site is "progressing well."
新闻背景：本月，Axios与BWXT合作，近距离探访“佩莱计划”——其规划、部件，以及简化施工的模型。
Driving the news: Axios linked up with BWXT this month to get an up-close look at Project Pele — its plans and parts, and the mockups that streamline construction.
威胁等级：军事能源需求巨大，而如今的柴油补给链条极其危险。补给车队是攻击目标；发电机的轰鸣声会暴露位置。小型、可隐蔽的反应堆有望缓解这一压力。
Threat level: Military energy demands are enormous, and the diesel daisy chain of today is deadly. Resupply runs are targeted; the loud hum of generators can give away your position. Small, concealable reactors promise to ease the strain.
他们表示："我们试图为‘佩莱’解决的问题是：在依然符合标准集装箱尺寸限制的模块内，榨取尽可能多的功率，"BWXT先进技术公司总裁凯特·凯利告诉Axios。"我们大家支持的这项任务的分量相当重大,"她补充道。"行业承担不起任何失误。我们必须成功。"
What they're saying: "The problem for Pele that we are trying to solve is: produce as much power as you can out of a module that can still fit within that shipping container constraint," Kate Kelly, president of BWXT Advanced Technologies, told Axios. "The gravity of the mission that we are all supporting is quite significant," she added. "The industry can't afford a mishap. We need to be successful."
聚焦来看：Pele——以夏威夷火神和火山女神命名——预计将产生1.5兆瓦"持续不断"的电力。它将使用三向各向同性燃料，BWXT也生产这种燃料，并已供应给其他参与者，如初创公司Antares。放眼大局：核能正在迎来一场广受欢迎的复兴。
Zoom in: Pele — named for the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes and fire — is expected to produce 1.5 megawatts of "always on" electricity. It will use tri-structural isotropic fuel, which BWXT also makes and has supplied to other players, like the startup Antares. Zoom out: Nuclear is mounting a popular comeback.
兴趣从四面八方涌来：白宫、五角大楼、硅谷、埃尔塞贡多。盖洛普3月进行的一项民调发现，普通美国人的支持率正在上升。"核能领域的机遇范围,"凯利说,"就是比以往任何时候都大。"
Interest is pouring in from all sides: the White House, Pentagon, Silicon Valley, El Segundo. A Gallup poll conducted in March found growing support among average Americans. "The scope of opportunities in nuclear," Kelly said, "is just bigger than it has been."
接下来：BWXT在Pele项目上的工作正在为另一个名为Janus的计划提供参考。根据该安排，预计该公司将在肯塔基州坎贝尔堡建造并运营BANR，一种高温气冷堆。
What's next: BWXT's work on Pele is informing another effort known as Janus. Under that arrangement, the company is expected to build and operate BANR, a high-temperature, gas-cooled reactor, at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.