Oak Ridge, Tennessee, has a long history with nuclear power. It’s home to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the leading institution for nuclear research in the U.S., but more famously, the city was the production hub for materials used in the Manhattan Project.
And now, Oak Ridge is set to host the world’s first factory for mass-produced nuclear reactors. In a statement on October 13, California-based startup Radiant announced that it had reached an agreement with local officials to build a “portable nuclear generator factory.” The company premises will include portions of the K-27 and K-29 sites, which used to house gaseous diffusion plants for the Manhattan Project.
“What was formerly the first Manhattan Project site will now be the site of the first portable nuclear generator production,” Radiant CEO Doug Bernauer said in the statement. “By 2028, we’ll be rolling out the first factory-built nuclear generator, and within a few years, we’ll be producing over a dozen per year.”
‘Manhattan Project 2.0’
Radiant is one of the 10 startups selected for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program. This is one of several contracts between the company and the DOE for nuclear research, which includes plans for Radiant to build and deliver trailer-sized microreactors to U.S. military bases.
The series of agreements reflects the current administration’s heightened interest in “ushering in a nuclear renaissance,” which DOE Secretary Chris Wright has referred to as a “Manhattan Project 2.0.” Specifically, the initiative, spurred by President Trump’s May executive order on nuclear energy, seeks to restructure and bolster the U.S. nuclear energy industry.
Portable nuclear power
If Radiant’s project proceeds as planned, construction for the factory, R-50, will begin in early 2026. That keeps the company “on track to deliver its first mass-produced Kaleidos nuclear generator by 2028,” it said.
Kaleidos is the company’s high-temperature gas-cooled reactor that uses helium gas and ceramic materials to stabilize nuclear fission. The reactor is intended to be trailer-sized, generating about 1.2 megawatts of power. The compactness of the reactor makes it a useful energy source for remote locations, such as military bases or rural areas, as well as an alternative for blackout emergencies.
A rendering of Radiant’s Kaleidos reactor. Credit: Department of Energy“Tennessee is quickly emerging as the national leader in clean, reliable energy production,” said Governor Bill Lee in a statement from Tennessee’s Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD).
“This investment marks the third nuclear project we’ve announced since September, reinforcing the state’s position at the forefront of next-generation energy innovation,” added TNECD Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter in the same statement.
The project brings $280 million in investments to Oak Ridge, as well as 175 new jobs, the company said, adding that Kaleidos “will be the world’s first one-megawatt portable nuclear generator capable of generating power in remote areas and providing resilient power options for military bases or disaster-relief scenarios.”
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