DOE approves first commercial nuclear microreactor safety review; Radiant cleared for full-power testing
McDonaghMatthew · x · 2026-10-31
The US Department of Energy has, for the first time in American history, approved the safety analysis of a commercial nuclear microreactor for full-power operations. The approval went to LA-based Radiant, with testing planned at Idaho National Laboratory.
The reactor is a 1-megawatt, gas-cooled unit (helium first, then air) that fits inside a shipping container. After roughly five years of operation it ships back to the factory, where spent fuel handling and refueling take place. Such containerized microreactors are seen as a potential off-grid power source for energy-hungry facilities like data centers.
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