First criticality for an American microreactor under the DOE program

Antares Nuclear’s Mark-0 reactor completed a zero-power fueled criticality demonstration, becoming the first reactor to go critical before the July 4 deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The demonstration took place at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) with permission from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), with Antares claiming it is the first private company to bring an advanced reactor to a critical level under the DOE Reactor Pilot Program. Antares was one of five companies selected last year by DOE for support under the program to accelerate testing of advanced reactor designs. The pilot program is part of the Department of Energy Nuclear Reactor Testing Reform Executive Order signed by Trump in May last year, with a goal of “constructing, operating, and achieving criticality of at least three test reactors using the DOE permitting process by July 4, 2026.”

Criticality means that the reactor has achieved a sustained nuclear chain reaction, with each fission event – ​​when a uranium atom in the fuel is split – releasing a sufficient number of neutrons to sustain a continuous series of reactions. In a nuclear reactor, the thermal energy from these fission reactions is used to produce steam and generate electricity.

The Mark-0 is a demonstration reactor, validating key reactor physics parameters for Antares’ sodium heat pipe-cooled microreactor technology, which uses tri-isostructural isotropic fuel – or TRISO – containing high-grade low-enriched uranium (known as HALEU).

The DOE described the criticality test of the 53rd reactor built at INL since 1951 as a “tremendous achievement” validating the safety and operational performance of Antares Nuclear’s fission reactor, and one of the most significant technological achievements in nuclear power in more than 40 years. “When commercialized after additional testing and authorization from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, microreactors like those manufactured by Antares are expected to be used in a variety of ground and space applications and to ensure the availability of military installations requiring reliable power,” the ministry said.

The demonstration was carried out in partnership with DOE, INL and BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT) – supplier of the TRISO fuel used to power the reactor – and with integration and observation support from the U.S. Army, considered a future end user of the technology.

In addition to meeting the administration’s goals to reform how the federal government tests advanced reactors, the demonstration establishes a repeatable permitting process that DOE and industry can use to accelerate future reactor demonstrations within commercial timelines, Antares said.

“Delivering on our commitments is paramount to us. Nuclear in America has been defined for too long by delays, by companies that said they would do it and didn’t,” said Jordan Bramble, CEO of Antares.

Powering the future

The fuel used by Antares is modeled on the compact TRISO fuels delivered by BWXT for the Pelé project, a 1.5 MW transportable microreactor that BWXT is building for the US Army’s Strategic Capabilities Office. Building on a proven fuel specification and manufacturing expertise gained through the Pele project directly underpins the criticality stage, said Joe Miller, BWXT president of government operations.

TRISO fuel compactors produced for the Mark-0 by BWXT (Image: BWXT)

The HALEU raw material used to manufacture Antares TRISO fuel compacts comes from scrap materials provided by the DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration. BWXT said it will continue to support Antares in the continued manufacturing of TRISO fuel, strengthening the company’s readiness to meet customer deadlines and meet the growing domestic demand for advanced reactor fuel.

“We are grateful for a partnership that continues as we move from neutrons to electrons,” Bramble said.

Antares’ timeline envisions power generation in 2027, with the first customer deployments of power-producing microreactors the following year. The criticality demonstration and the permitting process it establishes represent a key step toward deploying power-producing microreactors for U.S. military installations by the end of September 2028, Antares said.

“We talked about criticality in 2026, power generation in 2027, and power to warfighters in 2028. Today is the first of those commitments delivered on the timeline we set. The president and DOE set an ambitious timeline for reactor testing, and we met that challenge,” Bramble said. “I want to thank our partners at the Department of Energy, Idaho National Lab, BWXT and the U.S. Army. This is what happens when industry and government work together to accomplish great things.”

“We went from concept to a critical reactor, safely, in less than 12 months,” he added. “This doesn’t happen by accident. …It also doesn’t happen without decades of DOE investment in the AGR-2 TRISO specification and the Pele Project fuel supply chain at BWXT. Our partners at Idaho National Laboratory and DOE-ID have provided the design, regulatory and facilities support that has enabled this timeline.”

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