BUTTE COUNTY, Idaho — The Department of Energy announced on Thursday that the Mark-O, an advanced nuclear reactor designed by the privately owned Antares Nuclear, recently completed the first "zero-power fueled criticality demonstration" at the Idaho National Laboratory.
A zero-power fueled criticality test allows nuclear engineers to safely test a nuclear reactor's design in real time against calculated outcomes. In a zero-power test, the nuclear reactor operates just beyond the "critical point" where fission can take place, while producing a low thermal power output that ensures safety throughout the demonstration process. Furthermore, criticality describes the point at which a nuclear reactor is deemed ready for operation.
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"One of the most significant technological achievements in nuclear energy in over 40 years, this test will go on to inform the design and licensing of future commercial reactor deployments," reads a recent release from the Department of Energy. Now, subsequent reactor testing is expected to accelerate following the successful demonstration.
Future reactors like the Mark-O are expected to power space exploration. They will also be used to generate energy for domestic purposes as well as to support military installations that require reliable energy sources.
"The Mark-0 demonstration will continue to generate learning in a safe, rapid setting to improve our reactor design. Beyond reactor physics, we've gained a profoundly greater mastery of our regulatory pathway and our supply chain. Perhaps most of all, this program has instituted a camaraderie within our team, DOE, and our partners at Idaho National Laboratory that will continue to grow from here," said Jordan Bramble, CEO, Antares.
“It is fitting that on the eve of our nation’s 250th anniversary, we are witnessing a historic moment for American energy,” U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said. “For the first time in more than four decades, a new privately developed non-light-water reactor has reached criticality in the United States."
