The Utah San Rafael Energy Lab (USREL), part of the Utah Office of Energy Development (OED), and California-based start-up Valar Atomics have begun ground-breaking at a site for a nuclear test reactor. Valar was just one of 11 companies selected by the US Department of Energy (DOE) for its Reactor Pilot Program, which aims to achieve criticality for three reactors by 4th July 2026.
The USREL site will host Ward 250, a high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) design that uses TRISO fuel, helium coolant and graphite moderators.
Jaron Wallace, Director of USREL, noted: “This research effort has the support of the State of Utah, the Department of Energy, and the lab. Valar’s project isn’t just bringing cutting-edge nuclear technologies to the state; their unique focus on concentrated infrastructure means Utah will have the industrial-scale power needed to power our communities and businesses.”
ODE Director Emy Lesofski stressed the importance of energy security. “This ground-breaking marks a historic moment–one where we choose resilience, innovation and global leadership through partnerships like the Valar-USREL collaboration.”
Valar Atomics has chosen the Kiewit Corporation for engineering and construction, Goree for architecture and design and Sprung for the building.
In May, Utah Governor Spencer Cox agreed with California-based start-up Valar Atomics to site a test small modular reactor at USREL. Valar Atomics CEO and founder, Isaiah Taylor, said, “Valar Atomics is proud to partner with Governor Cox and the State of Utah on America’s nuclear comeback…. With today’s ground-breaking, we’re moving from plans to construction to deliver dependable, affordable power for AI, advanced manufacturing, and American industry.”
USREL is Utah’s leading hub for energy research and innovation, hosting a wide range of cutting-edge projects. In June USREL signed a memorandum of understanding and NuCube Energy to collaborate on siting one of NuCube’s microreactors at the lab.
Valar Atomics, founded in 2023, develops HTGR technology. It aims to build America’s first nuclear gigasites – clusters of thousands of HTGRs designed to produce industrial power and carbon-based fuels cheaper than oil. Valar raised $19m in a seed funding round to develop its first test reactor. It has an initial contract with the Philippines Nuclear Research Institute. Under the contract, Valar plans to pilot a test-scale reactor, and build two full-scale reactors before the first integrated reactor comes online.
Taylor, whose grandfather was a nuclear physicist on the Manhattan Project, dropped out of high school at 16, and went on to study software systems and to found startups. The company’s technical efforts are led by its Chief Nuclear Officer, Mark Mitchell – the former president of Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC), which filed for bankruptcy in October 2024. Valar’s team includes several others from USNC.
