Radiant announced October 29 that the Department of Energy approved the Documented Safety Analysis for its Kaleidos microreactor, advancing preparations for testing at Idaho National Laboratory.
According to the company, the approval covers operation at power as well as initial criticality. It allows Radiant to proceed to a DOE readiness review assessing the reactor and the team that will operate it.
Nuclear operations remain contingent on successfully completing that review. Radiant plans to fuel Kaleidos afterward and conduct a five-phase campaign at the National Reactor Innovation Center’s DOME facility.
The planned campaign progresses from initial criticality to higher power levels. Its objectives include 60 effective full-power days over several months and at least 150 continuous hours at full power without operator intervention.
Those are planned demonstrations rather than completed operating results. Radiant says it shipped the reactor from El Segundo, California, to Idaho in August, following approval of a preliminary safety analysis in February.
Thursday’s announcement concerns a testing milestone; it does not announce commercial operation or completed delivery of a working reactor to customers.
Sources: Radiant — October 29 Safety Analysis Announcement: https://www.streetinsider.com/Business+Wire/Radiant+Achieves+Industry+Milestone+as+the+Only+Microreactor+Design+to+Secure+DOE+Safety+Analysis+Approval+for+Full+Power+Operations/27257403.html