Nuclear Startup Antares Wins Key Approval Through DOE Program

Antares Nuclear Inc., a California-based startup developing small reactors, has won approval from federal regulators to complete its demonstration system — the first company granted such authorization under a US program aimed at accelerating new fission technologies.

The company has already built its Mark-0 microreactor and is preparing to load fuel in the coming months, Chief Executive Officer Jordan Bramble said in an interview. That puts Antares on track to reach a key milestone for participants in the US Energy Department’s reactor pilot program.

The department announced the program last year, part of the Trump administration’s efforts to promote ...