GoKawiilLandmark DOE--INL--Antares collaboration ushers in new era for American Nuclear power
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho--Antares today announced that its Mark-0 microreactor achieved initial criticality at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) under U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) authorization — making Antares the first private company to bring an advanced reactor to criticality under the DOE Reactor Pilot Program. The demonstration was conducted in partnership with DOE, INL, and BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT), with integration and observation support from the U.S. Army.
“Today’s achievement is a historic moment for American nuclear energy,” said U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright. “By bringing the first American non-light water privately developed reactor to criticality in more than four decades, Antares has shown what is possible when American innovation is unleashed. The Trump administration is proud to support the rebirth of America’s nuclear industry and ensuring Americans have access to affordable, reliable and secure energy for generations to come.”
The demonstration meets an ambitious objective set by the President and DOE to reform how the federal government tests advanced reactors, and it establishes a replicable licensing pathway that DOE and industry can use to accelerate future reactor demonstrations on commercial timelines.
"Hitting our commitments is everything to us. Nuclear in America has been defined for too long by delays, by companies that said they would and then didn't," said Jordan Bramble, CEO of Antares. "We said criticality in 2026, electricity production in 2027, and power to the warfighter in 2028. Today is the first of those commitments delivered on the schedule we set. The President and DOE set an ambitious timeline for reactor testing, and we met that challenge. 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 big things."
This reactor validates key reactor physics parameters for Antares' reactors and contributes verification and validation data back to the Department of War's Project Pele. The Mark-0 was authorized by DOE under the Reactor Pilot Program, with the U.S. Army integrated throughout as a future end user. This model of interagency coordination directly supports the Army's microreactor deployment timeline.
Mark-0 benefited from using the same nuclear fuel as the Project Pele program, an initiative to design, build, and demonstrate a prototype of a transportable micro nuclear reactor for military use. The TRISO (TRi-structural ISOtropic) fuel was fabricated by Virginia-based BWXT.
“BWXT is proud to work with Antares and deliver the fuel necessary for this important milestone at the Idaho National Lab. Antares is moving quickly to progress from concept to criticality, and we are happy to supply this team with the TRISO needed to do so,” said Joe Miller, BWXT’s president for Government Operations. “The fuel specification and manufacturing expertise we matured through the Strategic Capabilities Office’s Project Pele directly underpin this milestone, and the data from this demonstration will emphasize the strategic importance of the nuclear industry enabled by the strong leadership of the DOE and the Trump Administration.”
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