NRIC selects 13 new projects for nuclear energy launch pad in Idaho

IDAHO FALLS―The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Reactor Innovation Center, located at Idaho National Laboratory, announced Aug. 25 that 13 new projects have been selected to participate in the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative.

DOE and NRIC selected 12 developers and 13 projects based on criteria published in the initiative’s request for applications. The selections include reactor development and nuclear fuel cycle advancements, such as fabrication, enrichment and conversion technologies. The selected companies can now begin working with NRIC to access enhanced technical, regulatory and deployment support through the Launch Pad initiative.

The companies selected are Antares Nuclear; Atlas Atomics; Deployable Energy (two projects); Forge Atomics; Hexium, Inc.; Lightbridge Corporation; Nusano, Inc.; Oklo; Raven-Flint Nuclear; Scaled Atomics; Sublime Nuclear; and Valar Atomics.

“These selections show a strong and growing interest from developers ready to move their technologies forward,” NRIC Director Brad Tomer said. “Nuclear Energy Launch Pad gives these developers a prioritized pathway to the DOE authorization process, and access to subject matter experts, facilities and regulatory support tailored to their needs. We’re helping bridge the gap between concept and commercialization ― and these selections show that pipeline is only getting stronger.”

NRIC will continue accepting Launch Pad applications, with additional selections made on a rolling basis as resources allow. Projects not chosen in this review cycle may revise their submissions and reapply in future rounds.

“A resilient nuclear fuel supply chain is essential to America’s energy future, and the projects selected today reflect real progress on fabrication, enrichment and conversion technologies,” said Josh Jarrell, deputy assistant secretary for the Nuclear Fuel Cycle.

Chimi Zacot, acting deputy assistant secretary for Nuclear Reactors, said the round of selections builds on the early success of DOE’s Reactor Pilot Program and Fuel Line Pilot Program.

“The progress we’re seeing is the start of a lasting pipeline of advanced nuclear projects moving toward deployment,” Zacot said.

Idaho National Laboratory Director John Wagner said the lab’s infrastructure and expertise make it well-suited to support the initiative.

“One of Idaho National Laboratory’s greatest strengths is the combination of world-class infrastructure, technical expertise and decades of operational experience we’ve built to support the nation’s nuclear mission,” he said. “The Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative makes those capabilities available to developers, helping them move technologies from design to deployment safely and efficiently.”

The Nuclear Energy Launch Pad promotes the rapid development and deployment of advanced nuclear technologies by private industry, building on DOE’s Reactor Pilot Program, established in June 2025, and its Fuel Line Pilot Program, launched in August 2025. The initiative offers two pathways for developers: Launch Pad INL, based at Idaho National Laboratory, which provides access to nuclear research infrastructure and streamlined regulatory support, and Launch Pad USA, which extends that framework to federal and non-federal sites nationwide.

Launch Pad is managed by NRIC, which was established in 2019 to work with industry and the national laboratories to help bridge the gap between concept, demonstration and commercialization of advanced nuclear technology.

Idaho National Laboratory, managed by Battelle Energy Alliance for the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy, is the nation’s center for nuclear energy research and development and conducts research in national security, science and the environment.

This story was written using artificial intelligence with human oversight.