Third advanced reactor reaches criticality at INL ahead of America’s 250th anniversary

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — With America's 250th anniversary just days away, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the third advanced reactor to go critical, meeting the Trump administration's July 4 deadline.

The reactor, known as Unity and developed by Deployable Energy, successfully achieved criticality at Idaho National Laboratory. Criticality occurs when a nuclear reactor sustains a controlled nuclear chain reaction.

“Last week, I had the opportunity to see the Unity demonstration reactor firsthand and meet with the talented teams from Deployable Energy, INL and DOE whose work made this historic moment possible on the eve of our nation's 250th anniversary,” Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said. "Yesterday, we accomplished a significant milestone on a timeline many thought was unachievable. Advanced nuclear technologies like Unity will help power the next generation of American industry, strengthen our energy security, and ensure the United States remains the world’s nuclear innovation leader.”

Earlier this month, Antares Nuclear's Mark-0 reactor and Valar Atomics' Ward 250 reactor also achieved criticality through the Department of Energy's Reactor Pilot Program.

Federal officials say the milestone marks the first time three different advanced microreactor designs have reached criticality in the United States within a single month.

The Unity project was completed under the Department of Energy's Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative, which is managed by the National Reactor Innovation Center at Idaho National Laboratory. The program is designed to help companies test and demonstrate new reactor technologies more quickly.

Deployable Energy CEO and co-founder Bobby Gallagher credited the Department of Energy, Idaho National Laboratory and industry partners for helping the project reach the milestone.

"We are proud to be a part of this historic achievement," Gallagher said.

Officials say Unity is the first project under the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative to achieve criticality and demonstrates how national laboratory resources can help accelerate advanced reactor testing and development.

Learn more about the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad