NRC to review Radiant R-50 Part 70 license application

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has accepted Radiant Industries' 10 CFR Part 70 license application for its R-50 microreactor production facility in Oak Ridge, Tenn., and will launch an expedited review that it is aiming to complete within eight months.

According to NRC documents, the agency expects to complete its review of the license application by December 18, 2026. The timeline is described as "accelerated" in the NRC announcement-about 55 percent faster than the typical 18 months for Part 70 application reviews.

"This accelerated review reflects the NRC's commitment to enabling advanced reactor technologies while maintaining our broader effort to improve efficiency and upholding our rigorous safety standards," NRC Chairman Ho Nieh said in a statement.

Radiant and its microreactor: If Radiant's Part 70 application is approved, it would allow the California-based company to construct and operate the fueling building of the R-50 production facility. The fueling building is a key component of the company's Kaleidos microreactor commercialization program, as it would allow fueling as part of the manufacturing process, Radiant officials said in an announcement of the accelerated review.

"The NRC's acceptance confirms that Radiant's application is sufficiently complete for detailed technical review," Radiant said in its announcement. "This step initiates the agency's comprehensive evaluation of the R-50 facility's design, safety basis, and operational programs under the requirements of 10 CFR Part 70, which governs the possession and use of special nuclear material."

Radiant's 1-MW, TRISO-fueled, high-temperature, helium-cooled microreactor and its plans for mass production have garnered attention and backing. The company plans to test Kaleidos in 2026 at Idaho National Laboratory, and says the R-50 facility could produce its first reactor by 2028. Long-term plans call for production of up to 50 reactors per year.

Last year, the Department of Energy selected Radiant for its Reactor Pilot Program. In a 2025 blog post, it listed Kaleidos as one of "3 Microreactor Experiments to Watch Starting in 2026."

Radiant was also recently selected for the DOE's Nuclear Energy Launch Pad. It is slated for the inaugural fueled experiment at INL's Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME) test bed.

Additionally, Radiant was chosen to develop a microreactor for Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado through the Department of the Air Force's Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations (ANPI) program.

The Kaleidos microreactor is intended to replace diesel generators and fit inside a single shipping container, according to Radiant's website, to provide backup power to facilities like military bases, hospitals, and data centers.

According to Radiant Chief Nuclear Officer Rita Barnawal, "Five years of development; thousands of man-hours; and hundreds of pages of technical information, testing, repeated results, and documentation have led to this moment."

"Radiant is the first microreactor company to advance to a Part 70 license review, and we are grateful for the NRC's robust engagement with us thus far," she said in a separate statement. "Launching an accelerated review indicates how committed they are to enabling deployment advanced reactor technology."

What happens next: According to the NRC, the review will include a detailed safety evaluation and an environmental assessment to ensure that NRC requirements are met. The NRC expects Radiant to submit a separate application for its Kaleidos microreactor in the near future.