PARSONS — Ground was broken on the world’s first mile-deep nuclear reactor Tuesday afternoon in Parsons. Deep Fission, an advanced nuclear energy company founded in 2023, is building the reactor as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program. It is the company’s first project.
The concept is relatively simple. A mile-deep borehole will be drilled, and a pressurized water reactor will be placed at the bottom. The hole will be sealed and filled with water, with the reactor transferring heat to water that rises to the surface, becoming steam that turns turbines. The steam then cools down and returns to the borehole, allowing the system to reuse the water. The reactor is expected to generate enough electricity to power around 10,000 homes and last two to seven years.
It’s never been done before, but Tuesday’s groundbreaking swarmed with regional leaders thrilled to play a role in making history. The event kicked off at Labette Community College’s Cardinal Event Center, from where participants were shuttled to the project site.
“We are beginning a process of doing something incredibly exciting for the region,” said Josh Svaty, a former Kansas Secretary of Agriculture and now a consultant for Gencur Svaty Public Affairs. “At the same time it is subject to all of those very stringent laws that govern the way we do nuclear power in the United States. That includes public engagement. This is just the beginning of that process. And this community of Parsons and the region will be a part of that in the coming weeks and months ahead.”
Bob Wood, chairman of Parsons’ Great Plains Development Authority, said the Deep Fission project could transform the region.
“We call them our egg,” said Wood, referring to Deep Fission. “Our staff, led by Brad Reams, has been searching for the answer to the chicken and egg debate for several years now. Which comes first: the tenant or the power? We have tenants who locate to our site, but we’ve had a challenge confirming the power demands that come with these developments. We have one of the largest megasite developments in this part of the country, with the constant challenges of providing utilities and infrastructure to complement the facility.
“Deep Fission has the technology and ability to help solve this roadblock, allowing us to complete negotiations with these companies,” said Wood.
“Their investment in Labette County will be huge, and the jobs created by this process will be a needed shot in the arm. However, the real win will be the companies willing to come to Great Plains because of this power generation. That’s why I refer to Deep Fission as the egg. It’s the beginning of our process to redirect the future of Labette Kansas and the entire southeast Kansas region.”
IF YOU had to pick a spot to put the world’s first mile-deep nuclear reactor, Great Plains Industrial Park is a pretty good one. It’s huge, clocking in at 14,000 square acres. The 30-square-mile facility includes a fenced perimeter, gate attendants, and is dotted with bunkers that are relics of its 70-year history as the Kansas Army Ammunitions Plant.
The creation of Great Plains is a story unto itself. The Army closed the ammunition plant in 2005, and local leaders worked with then-U.S. Senator Pat Roberts to create the industrial park, which was finally founded in 2012. Because of its history, the site has its own water, sewer, electrical substation and over 30 miles of railroad track.
Deep Fission announced its selection of Great Plains Industrial Park on Dec. 4. The company aims to achieve criticality, or the ability to safely sustain nuclear chain reactions and thus produce energy, in seven months, by July 4, 2026.
For now, Deep Fission’s site consists of a single drilling rig with an American flag at top.
At Tuesday’s groundbreaking, Deep Fission CEO Liz Muller explained there will soon be three rigs on location, with no nuclear materials scheduled to be on-site until next summer.
DEEP FISSION is one of 11 nuclear projects selected by the Department of Energy in the pilot program. The goal is for three of these projects to achieve criticality before the nation’s 250th birthday, a timeline that resulted from President Trump’s Executive Order 14301. According to the Department of Energy, the program will “expedite the testing of advanced reactor designs” and “provide a fast-tracked approach to future commercial licensing activities.” Each company is responsible for project costs.
Deep Fission’s CEO and co-founder Liz Muller said she views public input as a critical part of the process.
“I’ve committed to significant public engagement. We will be having public meetings. We want to answer all of your questions. We will take the time to do that,” she said. “We’re really excited to be here in Kansas. I didn’t expect our first site to be here, but you all snuck up on me. We’ve been so pleased by the vision you have for advanced energy, innovation, and bringing jobs and great people to the community. We’re thrilled to be part of that vision.”
