USA: a third microreactor has also been launched before Trump's term.

The Unity demonstration reactor, from Deployable Energy, has successfully reached initial (first) criticality at the National Center for Reactor Innovation (NRIC) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). With this achievement, the United States has fulfilled the ambitious presidential goal set last year: that all three DOE-authorized microreactors achieve first criticality before July 4, 2026—the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.

Before the Unity reactor, this breakthrough step was achieved by two other designs: Antares Nuclear's Mark-0 reactor in early June, and shortly after it Valar Atomics' Ward 250 reactor.

Achieving criticality means that a controlled, self-sustaining chain reaction has been established in the reactor. Although the first criticality was achieved with a full-size core, it was a zero-power criticality experiment.

Now that this milestone has been crossed, the next phase for Unity is a phased testing program. This includes further validation of reactor physics, monitoring changes in loading, verification of inherent safety, and, finally, an increase in power. Data from these tests will form the basis for future commercial licensing and deployment on the market.

From a technical standpoint, Unity is envisioned as a compact “nuclear battery” – a 1-megawatt, water-moderated and gas-cooled microreactor (an unusual solution—we’re adding) designed to provide reliable energy with no carbon dioxide emissions where conventional energy infrastructure is unavailable, impractical, or vulnerable.

The U.S. Secretary of Energy Kris Rajt (Chris Wright) described this achievement as “a significant milestone on a timeline that many considered unattainable,” noting that advanced technologies like these will secure the United States' position as a leader in global nuclear innovation.

New Regulatory Model

What matters from an industry and agility standpoint is the business and regulatory model that enabled such rapid development. This program, launched in March this year, uses a specific mechanism: instead of the conventional, lengthy licensing process through the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the program relies on direct authorization by the Department of Energy (DOE). This enables expedited certification and construction of the first reactors of this type for the purpose of demonstrating the technology.

Unity was selected within this program only in April this year, and achieving criticality in just 150 days has set a completely new standard for execution speed in the advanced nuclear technology sector.

Comment: the price of political haste

But the greatest achievement of this project — completed in just 150 days — was accomplished by bypassing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Instead, direct authorization by the Department of Energy (DOE) within the Idaho National Laboratory was used. The media that reported this news, in turn, reported it completely uncritically and with enthusiasm that, to be honest, somewhat alarmed us.

Because we are reminded that the NRC exists for a reason – its processes are slow, but extremely rigorous as they deal with civilian safety. In this case, it seems as if the state approved the project for itself (via DOE) in order to meet a political deadline that the U.S. president arbitrarily set. So a real question arises: was speed placed ahead of long-term regulatory seriousness?

The project was clearly under enormous pressure to meet the "presidential deadline" set last year. And in the nuclear industry, historically speaking, pushing deadlines for political points rarely yields good results.

S.A.