Antares Achieves Criticality with Advanced Reactor Design
Antares has successfully achieved criticality with its test reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory, marking a milestone in small modular reactor development, although it is not yet capable of generating power.
Antares has announced that its test reactor reached criticality at the Idaho National Laboratory, making it the first new reactor design to achieve this status after an executive order from the Trump Administration aimed at accelerating nuclear power development in the U.S. Criticality indicates that the nuclear reactions within the reactor are self-sustaining, but this milestone does not entail power generation yet.
The reactor utilizes a new fuel system known as TRISO, which simplifies safety measures by incorporating safety features into the fuel design itself. The TRISO fuel consists of tiny uranium oxide pellets encased in layers of carbon and a hard ceramic shell, designed to contain heat and prevent meltdowns. Although some safety concerns persist, particularly regarding neutron escape and potential isotope conversion, the reactor employs additional safeguards such as a graphite sheath to address these issues.
Currently, the Antares reactor, referred to as Mark 0, is not connected to a power generation system and is primarily focused on validating the company's reactor models and gathering safety data for licensing purposes. Full-scale power generation trials are expected to commence next year. Collaborating with the Department of Defense’s Project Pele and receiving support from NASA, Antares aims to develop a mobile nuclear reactor.