Techub News reported that nuclear technology startup Valar Atomics reached a key technical milestone with its Ward 250 microreactor on March 31. The reactor achieved criticality, meaning it entered a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. According to the report, the milestone was completed more than three months ahead of the target date set by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Helium-cooled design and TRISO fuel
The Ward 250 reactor uses helium-cooled high-temperature gas-cooled reactor technology and is designed to operate with TRISO fuel. The system is positioned for use in power generation and industrial heat supply, two application areas identified in the report.
Valar Atomics recently completed a 450 million U.S. dollar financing round, bringing the company’s valuation to 2 billion U.S. dollars. The company plans to begin power generation operations before Independence Day this year. The information was reported by CryptoBriefing.