Energy Department Says Advanced Nuclear Reactor First to Reach Critical Milestone
The milestone validates safety data and could help Antares produce electricity by 2027 and deploy microreactors for military use by 2028.
- On Thursday, Antares Nuclear Inc. achieved criticality with its Mark-0 microreactor at Idaho National Laboratory, becoming the first private company to reach this milestone under the Department of Energy's Reactor Pilot Program.
- Established by President Donald Trump's May 2025 Executive Order 14301, the DOE Reactor Pilot Program directs the Department of Energy to accelerate reactor testing, targeting at least three advanced-reactor criticalities by July 4, 2026.
- BWX Technologies supplied the TRISO fuel using HALEU uranium enriched to less than 20%, incorporating specifications developed for the U.S. Army's Project Pele, which accelerated Antares' path to criticality.
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright called the achievement a "historic moment" for American energy, while Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Ted Garrish stated, "We celebrate the first of the pilot projects to reach criticality."
- Antares CEO Jordan Bramble targets electricity production by 2027 and military deployment by 2028, though Edwin Lyman of the Union of Concerned Scientists cautioned that the test "has absolutely no bearing on whether the Antares reactor will be safe or commercially viable.
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Energy Department says advanced nuclear reactor 1st to reach critical milestone
The Energy Department says a small nuclear reactor under development at a national lab has reached a crucial milestone that could allow it to produce electricity in the next few years. The microreactor being developed by Antares Nuclear Inc. at…
Nuclear Reactor First to Reach Critical Milestone, Wright Says
The Energy Department said Friday that a small nuclear reactor under development at a national lab has reached a crucial milestone that could allow it to produce electricity within a few years. The microreactor being developed by Antares Nuclear Inc. at the Idaho National Lab reached "criticality" on Thursday, Energy...
US-backed microreactor reaches criticality in major nuclear step
Antares has achieved a key milestone in the development of its Mark-0 microreactor, becoming the first private company to bring an advanced reactor to criticality under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program. The demonstration took place at Idaho National Laboratory under DOE authorization and in partnership with Idaho National Laboratory, BWX Technologies, and the U.S. Army. Reaching criticality means the reactor has achieved a s…
Advanced nuclear reactor in Idaho hits critical milestone, says Energy Department
The Energy Department says a small nuclear reactor under development at a national lab has reached a crucial milestone that could allow it to produce electricity in the next few years.
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