Useful information
Prime News delivers timely, accurate news and insights on global events, politics, business, and technology
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, has a long history with nuclear energy. It is home to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the leading institution for nuclear research in the US, but most famously, the city was the center of production for materials used in the Manhattan Project.
And now, Oak Ridge will be home to the world’s first mass-produced nuclear reactor factory. in a statement On October 13, California-based startup Radiant announced that it had reached an agreement with local officials to build a “portable nuclear generator factory.” The company’s facilities will include portions of the K-27 and K-29 sites, which used to house gaseous diffusion plants for the Manhattan Project.
“What was previously the first site of the Manhattan Project will now be the production site of the first portable nuclear generator,” Radiant CEO Doug Bernauer said in the statement. “By 2028, we will be launching the first factory-built nuclear generator and, within a few years, we will be producing more than a dozen per year.”
‘Manhattan Project 2.0’
Radiant is one of 10 startups selected for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program. This is one of several contracts between the company and the DOE for nuclear research, including plans for Radiant to build and deliver trailer-sized microreactors to US military bases.
The series of agreements reflects the current administration’s greater interest in “ushering in a nuclear renaissance”, which DOE Secretary Chris Wright has referred called “Manhattan Project 2.0”. Specifically, the initiative, prompted by President Trump’s executive order in May on nuclear energy, seeks restructure and strengthen the US nuclear energy industry.
portable nuclear power
If Radiant’s project proceeds as planned, construction of the factory, R-50, will begin in early 2026. That keeps the company “on track to deliver its first mass-produced Kaleidos nuclear generator by 2028,” he said.
Caleidos it’s from the company high temperature gas cooled reactor which uses helium gas and ceramic materials to stabilize nuclear fission. The reactor is intended to be the size of a trailer and generate about 1.2 megawatts of power. The reactor’s compactness makes it a useful power source for remote locations, such as military bases or rural areas, as well as an alternative in the event of emergency blackouts.
“Tennessee is rapidly emerging as a national leader in clean, reliable energy production,” said Governor Bill Lee in a statement from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD).
“This investment marks the third nuclear project we have announced since September, reinforcing the state’s position at the forefront of next-generation energy innovation,” TNECD Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter added in the same statement.
The project brings $280 million in investments to Oak Ridge, as well as 175 new jobs, the company said, adding that Kaleidos “will be the world’s first one-megawatt portable nuclear generator capable of generating power in remote areas and providing resilient power options for military bases or disaster relief scenarios.”
