Sandia National Laboratories, Approves Strategic Partnership Project With Elemental Nuclear to Advance Supercritical CO₂ Brayton Cycle Power Generation

Collaboration will develop sCO₂ Brayton Cycle Generator systems for data centers, microgrids, industrial sites, and remote installations — with the first system targeted for operation in 2027 and commercial deliveries beginning in 2028.

OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Elemental Nuclear Energy Corp. ("Elemental Nuclear" or the "Company") today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), has approved a Strategic Partnership Project (SPP) with the Company to support the development of Elemental Nuclear’s supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO₂)–based Brayton Cycle Generator (BCG) systems.

Sandia National Laboratories is internationally recognized as a leader in closed-loop, recompression Brayton cycle systems and components, and operates one of the world’s foremost sCO₂ test facilities. Under the partnership, Sandia and Elemental Nuclear will collaborate to design, build, and demonstrate advanced sCO₂ power generation technology across two system scales.

The first system is a 1 MWe natural-gas-and-waste-heat-fired power and cooling system targeted for use in small modular data centers and remote military installations. Elemental then plans to develop a scaled-up 10 MWe-scale unit engineered to operate with a range of heat sources, including the Elemental ISTR nuclear reactor. The larger system will focus on behind-the-meter power applications for data centers, microgrids, and industrial customers.

Through this work, Elemental Nuclear expects to become the first company in the world to demonstrate the long-term viability of sCO₂ Brayton cycle power generation systems at this scale. The first system is expected to be operable in 2027, supporting commercial system deliveries beginning in 2028.

“Approval of this Strategic Partnership Project is a major validation of Elemental’s vision and an important milestone for our company,” said David Blythe, Chief Executive Officer of Elemental Nuclear. “Working alongside Sandia National Laboratories — the world’s foremost authority on Brayton cycle systems — we intend to prove that sCO₂ power generation can be delivered reliably and at commercial scale, as a viable source of on-site power to data centers, industrial operators, and critical installations.”

The collaboration builds on Elemental Nuclear’s broader mission to develop advanced nuclear and next-generation power conversion technologies that address growing demand for dependable, high-density electricity — particularly for powering the critical needs of data centers and other energy-intensive industries.

About Elemental Nuclear Energy Corp.

Elemental Nuclear Energy Corp. is a Nevada corporation developing advanced nuclear and supercritical CO₂ (sCO₂) power generation systems, including its Brayton Cycle Generator (BCG) platform and the Elemental ISTR nuclear reactor. The Company’s technologies are designed to deliver clean, efficient, behind-the-meter power for data centers, microgrids, industrial customers, and defense installations. For more information, visit www.elementalnuclear.com.