Elemental Nuclear and Sandia Advance Supercritical CO₂ Power Generation Technology
Elemental Nuclear Energy Corp. (“Elemental Nuclear” or the “Company”) has announced a new partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), to accelerate the development of advanced power generation systems based on supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO₂) Brayton Cycle technology. The Strategic Partnership Project (SPP) approval marks a significant step in the company’s efforts to commercialize compact, efficient power systems for data centers, industrial facilities, military installations, microgrids, and other customers requiring reliable electricity.
The partnership brings together Elemental Nuclear’s development of next-generation power generation systems with Sandia National Laboratories’ extensive experience in sCO₂ technology. Sandia is internationally recognized for its work on closed-loop recompression Brayton cycle systems and related components and operates one of the world’s leading test facilities dedicated to sCO₂ power conversion. Through the newly approved SPP, the two organizations will collaborate on the design, construction, and demonstration of advanced sCO₂ power generation systems at two different scales.
The first phase of the program will focus on a 1-megawatt electric (MWe) system designed to provide both power and cooling. The system will initially be fired using natural gas and waste heat, creating a flexible platform for applications where dependable electricity and thermal management are essential. Elemental Nuclear intends to target this first system toward small modular data centers and remote military installations, where space, reliability, efficiency, and energy independence can be critical considerations.
The company expects the 1 MWe platform to serve as an important demonstration of the practical capabilities of sCO₂ Brayton cycle technology. Unlike conventional steam-based power conversion systems, sCO₂ systems use carbon dioxide maintained above its critical temperature and pressure as the working fluid. This approach can enable compact turbomachinery and power conversion equipment while offering the potential for high efficiency and flexible integration with different heat sources.
Following development of the initial system, Elemental Nuclear plans to scale its technology to a unit in the 10 MWe range. The larger system is expected to be engineered to work with multiple heat sources, including the company’s proposed Elemental ISTR nuclear reactor. This capability would allow the power conversion platform to potentially operate with advanced nuclear energy as well as other thermal energy sources.
The 10 MWe-scale system is particularly aimed at behind-the-meter power applications. Such applications are becoming increasingly important as electricity demand grows among data centers, industrial operations, and other energy-intensive facilities. By generating electricity at or close to the point of consumption, behind-the-meter systems can potentially reduce reliance on centralized grid infrastructure and provide customers with greater control over their energy supply.
Data centers represent one of the most significant potential markets for advanced distributed power technologies. The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, high-performance computing, and digital services is increasing demand for large quantities of continuous electricity. At the same time, developers face challenges related to grid interconnection, transmission capacity, power availability, and the need for resilient energy systems.
Elemental Nuclear believes its sCO₂-based Brayton Cycle Generator systems could help address some of these challenges by providing compact, on-site generation. The technology could be particularly relevant for customers seeking dependable power that can operate independently of, or in coordination with, the broader electric grid.
The company also sees potential applications in microgrids and industrial facilities. Microgrids can combine multiple energy sources and loads while providing localized electricity resilience. An sCO₂ power conversion system capable of operating with different heat sources could provide additional flexibility within such energy networks.
For industrial customers, the technology could offer another pathway for converting available thermal energy into electricity. Waste heat is generated by numerous industrial processes, and recovering that energy can improve overall system efficiency. Elemental Nuclear’s initial 1 MWe design, which incorporates natural gas and waste heat, is intended to demonstrate how the technology can integrate multiple energy inputs into a single power and cooling platform.
The partnership with Sandia is expected to provide Elemental Nuclear with access to specialized technical expertise, testing capabilities, and experience in the development of closed-loop Brayton cycle systems. Sandia’s work in sCO₂ technology spans power conversion, turbomachinery, system integration, and testing, making the laboratory an important collaborator for a company seeking to advance the technology toward commercial deployment.
Elemental Nuclear expects the first system to become operational in 2027. If development and demonstration proceed as planned, the company anticipates beginning commercial system deliveries in 2028. The proposed timeline reflects the company’s intention to move from technology development and testing toward practical deployment relatively quickly.
David Blythe, Chief Executive Officer of Elemental Nuclear, described the DOE approval as a major milestone for the company and an important validation of its technology strategy. He emphasized the importance of working with Sandia National Laboratories to demonstrate the reliability and commercial potential of sCO₂ power generation.
The collaboration comes as energy markets undergo significant changes driven by rising electricity consumption, the expansion of data centers, industrial electrification, and growing interest in resilient energy infrastructure. While renewable generation and battery storage are expanding rapidly, many customers are also looking for firm, high-density power sources capable of operating continuously.
Advanced thermal power conversion technologies could play a role in this changing environment by improving the efficiency and flexibility of energy systems. sCO₂ Brayton cycles are attracting attention because of their potential to support compact power generation and integrate with a variety of heat sources, including nuclear reactors, natural gas, concentrated solar thermal systems, and industrial waste heat.
For Elemental Nuclear, the SPP with Sandia represents an opportunity to demonstrate the technology under increasingly demanding operating conditions. The two-stage development strategy also provides a pathway from a smaller 1 MWe power and cooling platform toward a 10 MWe system designed for larger commercial applications.
The longer-term objective is to establish sCO₂ Brayton cycle generation as a commercially viable option for customers that require reliable, high-density electricity. By combining Sandia’s research capabilities with Elemental Nuclear’s commercialization strategy, the partnership seeks to bridge the gap between laboratory-scale technology development and deployable power systems.
Elemental Nuclear’s broader mission is centered on advanced nuclear energy and next-generation power conversion technologies. The company is pursuing solutions intended to address the increasing need for reliable electricity among data centers, industrial operators, military facilities, and other critical infrastructure.
The approved Strategic Partnership Project therefore represents more than a technology demonstration. It provides a framework for developing and testing power generation equipment that could eventually be deployed across multiple markets and operate with different sources of thermal energy.
With the first 1 MWe system targeted for operation in 2027 and commercial deliveries planned for 2028, Elemental Nuclear is positioning the Sandia collaboration as a key step in its commercialization roadmap. The successful demonstration of the technology could strengthen the role of sCO₂ Brayton cycle systems in distributed generation, data center power, microgrids, industrial energy recovery, and advanced nuclear power applications.
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