CRANBERRY TWP — The technology development wing of the Westinghouse Electric Co. has received a major boost from the government with the company announcing it obtained a $5 million grant from the Department of Energy to develop its concept for a small, highly autonomous nuclear reactor.

The company announced the grant in a news release Thursday and said it will be using the money to develop a self-regulating solid core block that employs solid materials to self-regulate the reaction rate in a nuclear reactor. The development would bring Westinghouse one step closer to realizing the its eVinciTM micro reactor concept, the company said.

This reactor concept is a state of the art, very small modular reactor for decentralized generation markets, allowing for easier transportation and quick on-site installation.

“It is very exciting to be chosen as part of this new program,” said Ken Canavan, Westinghouse’s chief technology officer. “DOE funding for these projects is essential to developing game-changing, next-generation technologies to generate environmentally sound energy that also addresses shifting global market needs.”

The company said it designed the reactor to run for up to 10 years and to have the ability to operate and safely shutdown without additional controls, external power sources or operator intervention.

The grant came through the DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy’s Modeling-Enhanced Innovations Trailblazing Nuclear Energy Reinvigoration program which looks to aid teams developing technology to make safer and more cost-efficient nuclear reactors.

More information about the reactor project can be found on the company’s website.