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Four Advanced Nuclear Reactors Reach Criticality by July 4 Deadline
The Department of Energy reported that four privately funded reactor projects achieved criticality at Idaho National Laboratory before July 4. The milestone exceeded the original target of three reactors set under an executive order and the Reactor Pilot Program.
Jul 6, 10:58 AM·1m read1 source
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The Department of Energy announced on July 1 that Deployable Energy's Unity reactor reached criticality at Idaho National Laboratory. That achievement met the federal target of bringing three privately funded advanced reactor projects to criticality before July 4.
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m. on July 4, bringing the total to four reactors. The Department of Energy confirmed the additional milestone in a joint statement with the company.
14301 directed the Department of Energy to establish a testing pathway for privately funded advanced reactors. The Reactor Pilot Program selected 11 projects for accelerated testing at Idaho National Laboratory. The selected companies included Aalo Atomics, Antares Nuclear, Atomic Alchemy, Deep Fission, Last Energy, Oklo, Natura Resources, Radiant Industries, Terrestrial Energy, and Valar Atomics.
Reactors That Reached Criticality Antares Nuclear achieved the first criticality with its Mark-0 heat pipe-cooled reactor. The Department of Energy described it as the first privately developed non-light-water reactor to reach criticality in the United States in more than four decades.
Valar Atomics reached criticality next with its Ward 250 high-temperature gas reactor. The company operated the reactor to produce electricity for an NVIDIA Spark system and conducted a live-streamed safety test. Deployable Energy achieved criticality with its Unity reactor outside the Reactor Pilot Program under the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative.
