Radiant selects Oak Ridge for a nuclear R&D facility
The start-up is the sixth company to locate in Tennessee utilizing the Nuclear Energy Fund.
Another week, and another announcement by a nuclear company choosing Oak Ridge.
On Monday, Governor Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter, and Radiant officials announced the company has selected Tennessee for a $280 million investment that will expand the company’s nuclear manufacturing and research and development (R&D) to Oak Ridge.
Through the project, Radiant will create 175 new jobs in Roane County that will directly support the development and mass production of Radiant’s Kaleidos. Upon completion of the facility, this machine 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.
Radiant is the sixth company to locate in Tennessee utilizing the Nuclear Energy Fund.
The $50 million fund was in Gov. Lee’s recommended 2023-2024 budget and approved by the Tennessee General Assembly. An additional $10 million was allocated and approved in the state’s budget during both the 2024 and 2025 legislative sessions, bringing the fund’s total to $70 million since its inception.
“Tennessee is quickly emerging as the national leader in clean, reliable energy production,” said Governor Lee. “That’s why innovative companies like Radiant are choosing our state for cutting-edge manufacturing and R&D. I’m proud to welcome Radiant to the Tennessee family and look forward to the vital role this company will play on the global stage, producing what will become the world’s first nuclear microreactor from right here in Oak Ridge.”
His comments were echoed by Tori Shivanandan, Chief Operating Officer of Radiant.
“We choose Oak Ridge, Tennessee, because of their strong workforce, the community’s rich nuclear heritage, and the public’s second-to-none nuclear IQ,” she said. “Just as importantly, the state’s business-friendly environment gave us the immediate regulatory certainty we needed to move fast and be up and running to meet growing customer demand for our Kaleidos nuclear generators. We’re excited to start building in just a few months.”
The El Segundo, CA-based company is a clean energy start-up building a nuclear microreactor. A climate-friendly alternative to diesel generators, Radiant’s 1MW microreactor will be the world’s first portable, zero-emissions power source that works anywhere.
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