Penn State is teaming up with Westinghouse Electric Company to develop a new nuclear research facility on the University Park campus, it announced Tuesday. The university is working with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to establish a new facility on campus, powered by the eVinci microreactor from Westinghouse.

Penn State and Westinghouse have been collaborating since 2022 on a research initiative called FRONTIER – Forging a Renaissance of Nuclear Through Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Research. The campus’s continued interest in nuclear research goes back all the way to 1955 when the Breazeale Nuclear Reactor on campus became the first licensed research reactor in any U.S. university.

The eVinci microreactor offers a safe and sustainable way to power research facilities and buildings across campus for eight years without needing to be refueled, the university said.

“We believe this technology has the potential to change how we think of and use nuclear energy,” Andrew Read, senior vice president for research, said in a release. “And with Pennsylvania’s and Penn State’s rich history in nuclear research, FRONTIER is the team to lead this endeavor.”

The application to install the microreactor on campus includes a letter of intent to the NRC, which the university sent back in February. Penn State will also continue to be in talks with the NRC throughout the application process to discuss potential locations for the facility.

To learn more about the microreactor as well as Penn State’s FRONTIER research initiatives, you can visit the FRONTIER or Westinghouse websites.