US-based company Radiant has announced a $280mn investment to establish its first nuclear microreactor manufacturing facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The facility will be built on land that once housed the K-27 and K-29 sites, part of the Manhattan Project. The site was acquired from the Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board.
Construction of the factory is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2026. Radiant plans to mass-produce its Kaleidos microreactor there, a 1 MWe electric generator using a graphite core and TRISO (tri-structural isotropic) fuel. Designed for transportability, the entire system is packaged within a standard container, allowing deployment in remote or controlled environments.
Project supported by Tennessee state funding
Radiant is the sixth company to benefit from Tennessee’s Nuclear Energy Fund. Created in 2023, the fund has been allocated $70mn, including an initial $50mn approved in Governor Bill Lee’s budget, followed by two additional $10mn allocations in 2024 and 2025. The initiative aims to accelerate the growth of a high-value nuclear ecosystem in the state.
According to the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD), the project is expected to create 175 skilled jobs and reinforce the state’s position as a hub for advanced nuclear manufacturing. Radiant joins other industrial ventures in the region focused on deploying small-scale nuclear technologies.
Industrial production scheduled for 2028
The Kaleidos microreactor is expected to undergo testing in 2026, with full-scale production reaching 50 units per year by 2028. Radiant was selected by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) under the Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program, which aims to accelerate licensing and commissioning of experimental reactors. The programme targets at least three reactors achieving criticality before July 2026.
The company is among the first two selected to access the National Reactor Innovation Center’s test site in Idaho. Radiant was also chosen for the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations programme, led by the Defense Innovation Unit, which evaluates the use of microreactors on military sites.
Strategic location on a historic site
Radiant stated that Oak Ridge was selected due to its local nuclear expertise, available skilled workforce, and a regulatory framework considered favourable for fast deployment. The future facility, named R-50, reflects both the industrial ambition and the historical significance of the site.
Through this project, Radiant aims to establish a scalable manufacturing pipeline capable of addressing growing demand for decentralised energy, especially for commercial, humanitarian, or defence applications. The company plans to expand deployment internationally, depending on regulatory developments.
