To the UCOR Workforce:
Radiant hosted a community open house at the K-25 Interpretive Center last week to share an update on their M-50 facility plant under construction at ETTP Heritage Center. This event was yet another reminder of the importance of Team UCOR’s cleanup work to set the stage for Oak Ridge leading the U.S. nuclear resurgence.
Radiant will produce its “Kaleidos” microreactor at the M-50 plant. It will be a portable nuclear generator that can generate up to 1 megawatt of electricity—enough to power 500 single-family homes. Kaleidos reactors will be sized for quick transport and ideal for powering national security needs or natural disaster relief. Radiant just landed a $750 million contract with the U.S. Army to deploy 15 Kaleidos nuclear microreactors across military installations and strengthen mission critical infrastructure.
Radiant’s plant will create 175 new jobs and is under construction on the footprints of the former K-27 and K-29 Manhattan Project-era gaseous diffusion buildings at ETTP Heritage Center. If you’ve driven past the site lately, you have seen the building framework in place. The company’s goal is to have the building completed in 2027 and begin operations in 2028 with a goal of producing 50 Kaleidos microreactors per year.
More than 20 companies and $12 billion in announced commercial nuclear energy projects are under way in Oak Ridge, and UCOR’s cleanup work was the spark. Our mission continues with cleanup projects at ORNL and Y-12 to clear the way for modernization and enduring mission work. What an exciting time for our region!
Thanks for your commitment to excellence in ensuring that our transformative cleanup work is performed efficiently and safely. We are making a huge difference, not just locally but nationally, setting the foundation for nuclear innovation.
Best Regards,
Jim Blankenhorn
UCOR President and Program Manager