The first advanced nuclear reactor has reached criticality as part of the Energy Department’s reactor pilot program, a big step forward for the Trump administration as it tries to lay the groundwork for a wider deployment of nuclear power nationwide.
The Energy Department said the advanced reactor design from California-based Antares Nuclear completed a “zero-power fueled criticality demonstration” at its Idaho National Laboratory on Thursday.
Criticality refers to a reactor achieving a nuclear chain reaction that is self-sustaining, a threshold that DOE has said it aims to reach with three advanced reactors as part of the program by July 4 of this year. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has said the department is expected to meet that goal, which was set by President Donald Trump last year.
“This test confirms that the reactor can operate safely and establishes a basis that would allow subsequent reactors to produce electricity in 2027 and beyond,” DOE said in a news release.
