# Westinghouse Says ARPA-E Selected PowerBlock Nuclear Fuel Project for Funding

The company will develop advanced fuel designs and manufacturing methods under the HORNIG program.

By Will Langan | 24X7 News
Published: 2026-10-29T19:03:24.177Z
Updated: 2026-10-29T19:03:24.177Z
Section: Science
Format: News
Canonical: https://24x7news.us/articles/westinghouse-powerblock-arpa-e-funding-october-29-2026

Westinghouse Electric Company announced October 29 that the U.S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E office selected its PowerBlock nuclear fuel project for funding.

The award falls under the High-performance Optimized Recycled Nuclear Isotopes for Gen IV reactors program, known as HORNIG, according to Westinghouse.

The company describes PowerBlock as an effort to combine new fuel architectures with advanced manufacturing. Its design targets include 24-month fuel cycles at thermal power levels above 4,200 megawatts.

Those figures are development goals. The announcement does not establish that a commercial reactor is operating with the new fuel or that the proposed performance has been demonstrated in service.

Westinghouse says the project will draw on its nuclear-fuel and manufacturing experience to produce technical information for future evaluation and potential deployment.

The company did not disclose the funding amount, an award duration or a commercial introduction date in its announcement. The immediate development is selection for research support, with further engineering and assessment still ahead.

Sources:
Westinghouse — October 29 Funding Announcement: https://info.westinghousenuclear.com/news/westinghouse-awarded-arpa-e-funding-to-accelerate-powerblock-nuclear-fuel-technology

## Sources
- Westinghouse — October 29 Funding Announcement: https://info.westinghousenuclear.com/news/westinghouse-awarded-arpa-e-funding-to-accelerate-powerblock-nuclear-fuel-technology