Radiant Industries is a California-based start-up. Radiant and Amsted Graphite Materials have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening the domestic supply chain for nuclear-grade graphite. As part of the increased collaboration, Radiant has placed a big purchase order with Amsted Graphite Materials for its PCEA nuclear-grade graphite to support Radiant’s development of their Kaleidos microreactor.
Radiant has been selected as one of three advanced nuclear technology developers to receive funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE). The funding is dedicated to developing and testing microreactor designs using the Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME) test bed at Idaho National Laboratory. The DoE, through the National Reactor Innovation Centre (NRIC), is providing four million dollars to Radiant, Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (UNSC) and Westinghouse to design experiments to test microreactor designs at DOME.
Radiant Industries was started in 2019 by former SpaceX engineers. Its Kaleidos design is a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR). It will utilize TRISO fuel, a helium coolant, and a graphite moderator. All Kaleidos components will be packed in a single shipping container to facilitate rapid deployment. It is designed to produce one million two hundred thousand megawatts of electricity or one million nine hundred thousand megawatts of thermal energy for heating or water desalination, as a potential replacement for diesel generators. Following testing that is scheduled to begin in 2026, Radiant intends to manufacture commercial production units in 2028.
The success of Radiant’s Kaleidos Demonstration Project, along with the viability of subsequent commercial projects, will rely on supply certainty and affordability of nuclear-grade, medium and fine grain graphite required for application in a nuclear environment.
Amsted Graphite Materials, part of the Chicago-based diversified manufacturing conglomerate Amsted Industries, is the biggest U.S.-owned synthetic graphite producer. Tori Shivanandan is the Chief Operating Officer of Radiant. She said, “By joining forces to secure a reliable supply of critical graphite materials, we are investing in the success of our Kaleidos Demonstration Project and laying a solid foundation for the future of clean energy in the United States.”
The MoU indicates the strong commitment of Radiant and Amsted Graphite Materials to reduce reliance on foreign sources of nuclear-grade graphite. They seek to enhance U.S. advanced manufacturing capabilities and strengthen the security of US nuclear energy supply chains. Their key objectives include collaborative efforts in policy advocacy at federal, state and local levels, strategic discussions with third parties, exploration of public-private partnerships with the U.S. government, and participation in testing and R&D programs with universities and government laboratories.
Gavin Noel is Vice President and General Manager of Amsted Graphite Materials. He said, “Our collaboration with Radiant is a significant step toward strengthening America’s nuclear energy infrastructure. As the United States moves toward a cleaner, more resilient energy future, our partnership underscores the essential role of graphite in ensuring the security and sustainability of innovative technologies.”
Amsted Graphite Materials signed a partnership agreement with small modular reactor developer X-energy in 2022 to establish an integrated domestic supply chain for nuclear-grade graphite. X-energy’s Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor is also designed to utilize synthetic graphite as a moderator.