(The Center Square) – A California company announced Monday it is building its first portable nuclear generator factory in Tennessee.
Radiant will invest $280 million and create 175 new jobs in Oak Ridge, a community in the Appalachian foothills with population more than 30,000 about 25 miles west of Knoxville.
“What was formerly the first Manhattan Project site will now be the site of the first portable nuclear generator production,” Doug Bernauer, CEO and founder of El Segundo-headquartered Radiant, said in a release. “By 2028, we’ll be rolling out the first factory-built nuclear generator, and within a few years we’ll be producing over a dozen per year.”
The company received assistance from Tennessee’s Nuclear Energy Fund. State lawmakers authorized the $50 million in the 2023-24 budget and added $10 million in the 2024 and 2025 legislative sessions.
“This investment marks the second nuclear project we’ve announced in September alone, reinforcing the state’s position at the forefront of next-generation energy innovation,” said Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter of the Department of Economic and Community Development.
The company chose Oak Ridge because of its nuclear heritage and strong workforce, according to Tori Shivanandan, Radiant’s chief operating officer.
“Just as importantly, the state’s business-friendly environment gave us the immediate regulatory certainty we needed to move fast and be up and running to meet growing customer demand for our Kaleidos nuclear generators,” Shivanandan said. “We’re excited to start building in just a few months.”
Second-term Republican Gov. Bill Lee said Tennessee is emerging as a leader in clean, reliable energy production.
“That’s why innovative companies like Radiant are choosing our state for cutting-edge manufacturing and R&D,” Lee said. “I’m proud to welcome Radiant to the Tennessee family and look forward to the vital role this company will play on the global stage, producing what will become the world’s first nuclear microreactor from right here in Oak Ridge.”
