The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has formally accepted Radiant Industries’ 10 CFR Part 70 licence application for its R-50 production facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This initiates an expedited eight-month review, roughly 55% faster than the standard 18-month timeframe, with a goal to complete the process by 18 December.
The R-50 facility is designed to be the world’s first factory for the mass production of microreactors, specifically Radiant’s Kaleidos unit. Once fully operational, the factory aims to produce up to 50 microreactors a year. The Kaleidos is a 1 MWe portable, air-cooled reactor using TRISO (Tri-structural Isotropic) fuel and high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU).
The Part 70 licence is critical because it allows the facility to possess and use special nuclear material, enabling Radiant to fuel, assemble, and test the reactors before shipping them to customers. Following construction (slated for early 2026) and this expedited review, the company targets its first commercial rollout by 2028. “This accelerated review reflects the NRC’s commitment to enabling advanced reactor technologies while maintaining our broader effort to improve efficiency and upholding our rigorous safety standards,” said NRC Chairman Ho K Nieh in an NRC press release.
The NRC’s acceptance confirms that Radiant’s application is sufficiently complete for detailed technical review. This step initiates the agency’s comprehensive evaluation of the R-50 facility’s design, safety basis, and operational programs under the requirements of 10 CFR Part 70, which governs the possession and use of special nuclear material. Radiant will continue to collaborate closely with the NRC throughout the review process and anticipates ongoing engagement as the agency conducts its safety, environmental, and technical evaluations.
Dr Rita Baranwal, Chief Nuclear Officer at Radiant Industries, noted: “We have been working every day to validate our design, process, and product. Five years of development, thousands of man hours, and hundreds of pages of technical information, testing, repeated results, and documentation have led to this moment.”
