The U.S. Department of Energy has selected 13 nuclear energy projects for the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative. Managed by the National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) at Idaho National Laboratory, the program will give developers technical, regulatory and deployment support as they work toward commercial nuclear technologies.
NRIC selected 12 developers covering reactor designs and nuclear fuel technologies. The projects include work on fuel fabrication, enrichment and conversion, as well as advanced reactor development.
The selected companies include Antares Nuclear, Atlas Atomics, Deployable Energy, Forge Atomics, Hexium, Lightbridge Corporation, Nusano, Oklo, Raven-Flint Nuclear, Scaled Atomics, Sublime Nuclear and Valar Atomics. Deployable Energy was selected for two projects.
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The initiative is designed to solve a key problem for nuclear developers: moving promising ideas from the design stage toward real-world deployment. Developers can work with NRIC experts and access research facilities, regulatory guidance and other technical support.
The projects cover different parts of the nuclear industry. Reactor developers can receive help with technology development, while fuel companies can work on technologies for making, enriching and converting nuclear fuel.
According to GlobeNewswire, NRIC will continue accepting applications and make more selections as resources become available. Companies that were not selected in this round can update their applications and apply again in future selection cycles.
NRIC Director Brad Tomer said the program gives developers a more direct path through the U.S. Department of Energy authorization process. The goal is to help turn advanced nuclear concepts into technologies that can eventually reach deployment.
The program also supports U.S. efforts to strengthen the domestic nuclear fuel supply chain. DOE officials said projects focused on fuel fabrication, enrichment and conversion could help reduce reliance on foreign sources.
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The Nuclear Energy Launch Pad builds on DOE’s Reactor Pilot Program and Fuel Line Pilot Program. Managed by NRIC, the initiative offers pathways at Idaho National Laboratory and other federal and non-federal sites, giving developers access to nuclear research infrastructure and regulatory support.
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