U.S. NRIC Selects 13 Nuclear Energy Launch Pad Projects

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) announced on August 24 that 13 new projects have been selected for the "Nuclear Energy Launch Pad" program. NRIC is based at Idaho National Laboratory (INL).

NRIC Director Brad Tomer stated that this round of selections reflects developers' growing commitment to advancing related technologies. The program will provide companies with a priority pathway to DOE authorization, as well as expert resources, facility conditions, and targeted regulatory support to advance advanced nuclear technologies from the conceptual stage to commercial deployment.

Based on the evaluation criteria in the program's application guide, DOE and NRIC selected 13 projects from 12 developers in this round. The projects span reactor development and nuclear fuel cycle improvements, covering technologies such as fabrication, enrichment, and conversion. Selected companies can begin engaging with NRIC to access the technical, regulatory, and deployment support offered by the "Nuclear Energy Launch Pad."

This round's selected developers include Antares Nuclear, Atlas Atomics, Deployable Energy, Forge Atomics, Hexium Inc., Lightbridge Corporation, Nusano, Oklo, Raven-Flint Nuclear, Scalted Atomics, Sublime Nuclear, and Valar Atomics.

NRIC stated that the "Nuclear Energy Launch Pad" program will continue to accept applications and conduct rolling selections based on resource availability. Projects not selected in this round may revise their application materials and resubmit in subsequent rounds.

Josh Jarrell, DOE's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Fuel Cycle, stated that a stable nuclear fuel supply chain is of great significance to the future U.S. energy system, and this round's selections reflect tangible progress in fabrication, enrichment, and conversion technologies. DOE will work with relevant companies to strengthen domestic fuel supply capabilities.

Chimí Zacot, DOE's Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, stated that early progress in the reactor pilot projects and fuel pipeline pilot projects has been encouraging, and this round's selection results show that a group of advanced nuclear projects continue to move toward deployment.

Idaho National Laboratory Director John Wagner stated that INL possesses nuclear energy research infrastructure, technical expertise, and decades of operational experience. The "Nuclear Energy Launch Pad" opens these capabilities to developers, helping them advance technologies from the design stage to deployment in a safe and efficient manner.

The "Nuclear Energy Launch Pad" program aims to support private companies in accelerating the development and deployment of advanced nuclear technologies. The program builds on the reactor pilot projects launched by DOE in June 2025 and the fuel pipeline pilot projects launched in August 2025, leveraging more flexible technical and regulatory frameworks to advance the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies on both federal and non-federal lands.

The program includes two pathways: Launch Pad INL leverages INL's nuclear energy research infrastructure, operational experience, and regulatory support; Launch Pad USA extends the framework to federal and non-federal entities across the United States. NRIC was established in 2019 with the primary mission of uniting industry and national laboratories to bridge the gap between concept, demonstration, and commercialization for advanced nuclear technologies.