U.S. DOE Approves the Safety Design Strategy for Radiant Microreactor

The U.S. Department of Energy has reviewed and approved the Safety Design Strategy for Radiant's Kaleidos microreactor in the National Reactor Innovation Center’s Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments test bed at Idaho National Laboratory.

June 4, 2024

June 4, 2024 — Radiant, a leading innovator in advanced nuclear energy solutions, announces the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has reviewed and approved the Safety Design Strategy (SDS) for the Radiant Kaleidos microreactor in the National Reactor Innovation Center’s Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (NRIC-DOME) test bed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The SDS, which describes the accepted safety analysis approach for the Kaleidos reactor, marks the initial stage in a comprehensive safety review process each microreactor developer will undertake prior to a fueled test at the Idaho facility.

Testing in NRIC’s DOME will allow Radiant to gather critical safety and performance data to support the future commercial licensing process with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Radiant is currently working with INL on the next phase of the safety review, focusing on the Conceptual Safety Design Report (CSDR). The purpose of the CSDR is to summarize the hazard analysis efforts and safety-in-design decisions incorporated into the conceptual design, along with any identified project risks associated with the selected strategies. Following its successful completion of reactor testing in the DOME facility, Radiant expects to deliver a limited number of pre-ordered Kaleidos units as soon as 2028, after obtaining US Nuclear Regulatory Commission licenses.

“The SDS is the cornerstone of the safety roadmap we’re building as we approach commercialization of a fueled reactor in a few years’ time,” said Radiant CEO Doug Bernauer. “We’re grateful for DOE Idaho's review and approval as we take this important step forward and for INL’s continued thorough support throughout this critical process.”

“The approval of the SDS is an important step towards enabling a microreactor developer to perform a test in our DOME facility,” said Brad Tomer, acting director and chief operating officer of NRIC. “As the nation’s nuclear energy research laboratory, we are committed to working with private companies to help further develop advanced nuclear technologies that will provide clean energy solutions for the U.S.”

As one of three recipients of the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Front-End Engineering and Experiment Design (FEEED) awards, Radiant is supported by NRIC at INL to test a fueled prototype of the Kaleidos microreactor.

About Idaho National Laboratory

Battelle Energy Alliance manages INL for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy. INL is the nation's center for nuclear energy research and development, celebrating 75 years of scientific innovations in 2024. The laboratory performs research in each of DOE’s strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and the environment. For more information, visit www.inl.gov. Follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.