ENMG Analysis
Nuclear Energy Launch Pad Selects 12 Companies for 13 New Projects
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Reactor Innovation Center has selected 12 recipients for the second round of its Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative, expanding a federal pathway that now covers advanced reactors, fuel fabrication, uranium conversion, isotope production and other parts of the nuclear supply chain.
The selections, announced August 24 and also reported by World Nuclear News, include eight companies new to the Launch Pad and four reactor developers that had previously received support through the initiative or its predecessor programs. Because Deployable Energy received two project selections, the second round covers 13 projects from 12 companies.
The distinction matters. The Launch Pad is not a commercial deployment award, an operating license or a guarantee that every project will reach full-power demonstration. It is an accelerated pathway to Department of Energy authorization, technical expertise, federal laboratory facilities and regulatory support. The companies remain responsible for engineering, financing, licensing and demonstrating that their technologies can operate safely and economically.
How the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad Supports Reactor Development
The Nuclear Energy Launch Pad was announced earlier in 2026 and builds on the Reactor Pilot Program launched in June 2025 and the Fuel Line Pilot Program launched in August 2025. NRIC, which is based at Idaho National Laboratory, established the framework to help private developers use federal and non-federal sites while navigating DOE authorization and technical review.
The second round broadens the program’s scope beyond reactor cores and power generation. The selected projects include fuel manufacturing, uranium conversion and isotope-related technologies. That is significant because advanced reactor deployment depends on more than reactor design. It also requires fuel qualification, enrichment and conversion capacity, component manufacturing, waste and materials management, and a regulatory system capable of reviewing new technologies.
| Recipient group | Companies | Primary focus or milestone |
|---|---|---|
| New Launch Pad participants | Atlas Atomics, Forge Atomics, Hexium, Lightbridge, Nusano, Raven-Flint Nuclear, Scaled Atomics and Sublime Atomics | Advanced reactors, fuel, conversion and isotope-related technologies |
| Returning reactor developers | Antares Nuclear, Deployable Energy, Oklo and Valar Atomics | Reactor demonstrations following earlier pilot-program support |
| Two-project selection | Deployable Energy | Full-power INL demonstration and maritime demonstration with Hornbeck Offshore |
| Program total after two rounds | 15 companies and 17 projects | Additional selections are expected on a rolling basis as resources allow |
NRIC Director Brad Tomer said the selections demonstrate “a strong and growing interest from developers ready to move their technologies forward.” He added that the Launch Pad provides a prioritized path to DOE authorization and access to subject-matter experts, facilities and regulatory support.
That support may reduce administrative and technical delays, but it does not remove the underlying challenges of nuclear deployment. Developers still must demonstrate fuel performance, system reliability, safety, security, manufacturability and commercial value.
Four reactor developers are moving beyond criticality
The returning companies include four developers whose projects achieved zero-power fueled criticality during the summer. Criticality means that a controlled nuclear chain reaction has been established. Zero-power criticality, however, is not the same as producing electricity or demonstrating full-power operation.
Antares Nuclear’s Mark-0 reactor became the first of the group to reach zero-power criticality in June. The design uses TRISO fuel and passive sodium heat pipes to transfer heat from the reactor core. The company is now working toward an electricity-producing prototype and has been selected by the U.S. Air Force for potential microreactor deployment at Joint Base San Antonio.
Deployable Energy’s Unity reactor achieved criticality late on June 30, with DOE announcing the milestone on July 1. The company’s two new Launch Pad projects cover a full-power demonstration at INL and a maritime demonstration with Hornbeck Offshore. The maritime project is intended to examine more than reactor performance. It may also test transportation, integration, deployment and operations in an offshore or marine setting.
A full-power demonstration would represent a more demanding stage than zero-power criticality because it would require the system to manage sustained thermal output and operate its power-conversion equipment under realistic conditions. The maritime demonstration introduces additional questions involving marine integration, maintenance, emergency planning, logistics and regulatory jurisdiction.
Valar Atomics’ Ward 250 reached zero-power criticality in June. The reactor is a 100-kWt helium-cooled, high-temperature gas reactor using TRISO fuel. The company is proceeding toward planned power ascension, which will provide information on thermal performance and operating behavior that cannot be obtained from a zero-power test alone.
Oklo’s Groves Isotope Test Reactor reached zero-power fueled criticality in August. Its milestone illustrates how advanced reactors may be designed for purposes beyond electricity generation, including isotope production and other industrial applications. ENMG previously examined the importance of reactor milestones in our coverage of ZiaCore’s microreactor criticality.
The range of reactor concepts also shows why “advanced nuclear” is not a single technology. Sodium heat-pipe systems, helium-cooled reactors and heavy-water designs have different fuel requirements, heat-transfer characteristics, materials challenges and licensing questions.
New reactor concepts add to the technology mix
Atlas Atomics is developing advanced heavy-water reactor technology intended to provide baseload power while also supporting domestic production of medical and industrial isotopes and the recycling and use of spent nuclear fuel.
Heavy-water reactors use deuterium oxide as a neutron moderator. That design choice can support the use of different fuel strategies than conventional light-water reactors, although the benefits must be weighed against the cost and complexity of heavy-water systems, fuel fabrication and spent-fuel handling.
Forge Atomics is developing a factory-built, 25-MWe pressurized water reactor using low-enriched uranium dioxide fuel. Scaled Atomics, formerly known as Avant Tech, is developing a mobile microreactor. The public information available for Hexium and Sublime Atomics provides less detail about their selected projects, while Nusano is associated with radioisotope production.
Isotope production could become an important part of the advanced nuclear market. Medical isotopes are used in diagnostics and cancer treatment, while industrial isotopes support testing, measurement and manufacturing. However, isotope markets have specialized requirements. A reactor must provide the right neutron environment, target materials, processing infrastructure and reliable delivery schedule. A reactor that is technically capable of producing isotopes may still require substantial downstream investment.
The relationship between reactor design, fuel and industrial demand is also visible in molten salt concepts. ENMG’s broader nuclear coverage offers additional context on how different coolant and fuel configurations affect deployment questions.
Fuel-cycle projects may determine how quickly reactors scale
Lightbridge’s selection is focused on fuel rather than a new reactor. The company plans to pursue a DOE-authorized facility at INL to manufacture Lead Test Assemblies of its proprietary metallic fuel for testing in commercial power reactors.
Lead Test Assemblies are an important intermediate step between experimental fuel testing and broader commercial use. Lightbridge says its planned Special High-assay low-enriched uranium Extrusion Demonstration facility would support production-scale equipment, processes and quality systems before a larger commercial facility is developed.
“This is the most important step we have taken toward putting Lightbridge Fuel into commercial reactors,” Lightbridge Chairman and CEO Seth Grae said in a company announcement. He said the DOE-authorized facility could allow full-scale fuel assemblies to be produced earlier than under a conventional facility licensing pathway.
Those statements are forward-looking. The project must still move through design, authorization, construction, fuel qualification and commercial-reactor testing. Fuel performance data, manufacturing consistency and utility acceptance will be among the key issues to watch.
Raven-Flint Nuclear is pursuing a different part of the fuel cycle. Its planned Torch facility at INL is designed to convert approximately 500 tonnes of uranium per year into uranium hexafluoride, or UF₆. The company says its proprietary process is intended to eliminate elemental fluorine gas from the conversion chain.
Uranium conversion is a critical step between uranium mining and enrichment. UF₆ is the chemical form used in many enrichment processes, so additional domestic conversion capacity could reduce a vulnerability in the U.S. nuclear fuel supply chain. Raven-Flint has also reported successful laboratory-scale UF₆ production and regulatory docketing for engineering-scale uranium operations.
Torch remains a planned pilot facility, not an operating commercial plant. Its future significance will depend on whether the process can be scaled while meeting safety, quality, cost and regulatory requirements.
Why the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad Matters for U.S. Energy
The selections arrive as electricity demand is rising from data centers, industrial projects, manufacturing and broader electrification. Nuclear power is one potential source of firm generation, but advanced reactors will compete with natural gas, existing nuclear plants, renewables, storage, transmission upgrades and demand-management technologies.
Data-center developers are already examining multiple sources of firm power. ENMG previously reported on the Crusoe and Aalo nuclear data-center demonstration at INL, illustrating how advanced nuclear companies are seeking commercial customers with concentrated, round-the-clock electricity needs.
The potential benefits of the Launch Pad include faster access to federal facilities, improved coordination with national laboratories and a clearer path through DOE authorization. The limitations are equally important. Federal support does not guarantee technical success, private financing, commercial customers or approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission where NRC licensing is required.
Readers should watch several developments next:
- Whether Antares, Deployable Energy, Valar and Oklo move from zero-power criticality to sustained power operation.
- Whether Deployable Energy’s Unity system receives authorization for its full-power and maritime demonstrations.
- The design, authorization and construction timeline for Lightbridge’s Lead Test Assembly facility.
- Raven-Flint’s progress from laboratory-scale UF₆ production toward the Torch pilot plant.
- Additional Launch Pad selections involving fuel, isotope production, enrichment and reactor technologies.
- Evidence that advanced designs can be manufactured repeatedly and compete with other sources of reliable electricity.
The second Nuclear Energy Launch Pad round therefore represents more than a list of reactor companies. It is an attempt to develop the supporting industrial and regulatory system required for advanced nuclear energy. Whether that system can convert promising demonstrations into safe, financeable and repeatable commercial projects will determine the program’s lasting importance.
Keep In Touch with Shale Magazine
As the new era of energy unfolds, you can bet we’ll be the boots on the ground to keep you informed. Subscribe to Shale Magazine for sharp insight into the arenas that matter most to your life. And don’t forget to listen to our riveting podcast, The Energy Mixx Radio Show, where our very own Kym Bolado interviews the most extraordinary thought leaders, business innovators, and industry experts of our time.
Subscribe to get more posts from Amanda Jenkins
