The Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear and the National Reactor Innovation Center have made their first selections for DOE’s recently established Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative.
Previously announced on March 5, the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad aims to create a hub to speed up advanced nuclear technology deployment using technical and regulatory frameworks on federal and non-federal lands. The new initiative builds on DOE’s reactor pilot program and will further expand the agency’s authorization ability.
According to DOE’s Monday press release, the first selections for the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad are:
- California-based nuclear fuel startup General Matter
- El Segundo, Calif.-based Radiant Nuclear
- Houston-based nuclear reactor startup Deployable Energy
- Idaho Falls, Idaho-based nuclear reactor startup NuCube Energy and Idaho State University
DOE said it reviewed and selected four companies from the initial pool of the reactor pilot program and fuel line pilot program to be involved in the Launch Pad program. Both the fuel line and reactor pilot programs serve as a predecessor to the launch pad initiative.
“Inclusion in the program allows these companies to begin discussion with NRIC [National Reactor Innovation Center] on the enhanced technical, regulatory and deployment support Launch Pad is able to provide,” DOE said.
The Launch Pad is “the next iteration of DOE’s reactor pilot program and fuel line pilot program,” according to the release. The National Reactor Innovation Center, which oversees the Nuclear Energy Launch initiative, issued a request for applications (RFA) for the initiative Wednesday.
For applicants interested in the program, responses must be submitted by June 19 and for applications submissions those are due by July 8. Points of contact for RFA are AnnMarie Marshall, ann.marshal@inl.gov, and Sam Reiss, samuel.reiss@inl.gov.
The initiative offers two pathways: Launch Pad INL and Launch Pad USA. The INL – or Idaho National Laboratory pathway, offers private companies access to INL-owned land and access to the laboratory’s research infrastructure. Launch Pad USA extends the program’s framework to other federal and nonfederal sites outside of INL.
The RFA outlines the eligibility requirements and submission instructions for both of the initiative’s pathways. A virtual industry day, hosted by the National Research Innovation Center, will be held May 19 from 9 a.m. to noon Mountain Daylight Time. The event serves to provide more information on the initiative and give companies the opportunity to ask questions on it, according to the release.