Austin, Texas-based Aalo Atomics broke ground to start construction on Aalo-X, the first experimental extra modular nuclear reactor (XMR). Located next to Idaho National Laboratory (INL)’s Materials and Fuels Complex, Aalo plans to complete construction and achieve criticality for this reactor by July 4th, 2026. The groundbreaking event – coming just two weeks after Aalo was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to participate in President Trump’s Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program – underscores Aalo’s ability to move at incredible speed to meet the imminent market need for new reliable, scalable and safe energy sources to power the next generation of data centers.
“Our selection for the Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program is a significant catalyst for achieving our goal of going from ‘founding to fission’ in less than three years – a feat many deemed impossible just a year ago,” said Matt Loszak, Co-founder and CEO, Aalo Atomics. “This milestone groundbreaking event is a testament to the potential that can be unlocked when public entities and private companies partner together in the critical interest of the nation. This is a pivotal time for the U.S. nuclear energy industry and we are incredibly proud to be at the forefront.”
The DOE announced the Reactor Pilot Program in June 2025, following President Trump’s Executive Order 14301, which reforms reactor testing at the Department. The goal of the Reactor Pilot Program is to expedite the testing of advanced reactor designs that will be authorized by the Department at sites outside the national laboratories. The program represents an important step toward streamlining nuclear reactor testing and unleashes a new pathway toward fast-tracking commercial licensing activities. Aalo was selected for the program following a competitive Request for Applications (RFA) process and aims to be the first recipient to begin construction on a test facility.
“Today’s groundbreaking symbolizes the progress that can be achieved when innovation, vision and national purpose come together,” said INL Director John Wagner. “At Idaho National Laboratory, we are proud to support the Department of Energy’s efforts to accelerate advanced nuclear technologies that strengthen America’s energy security, provide reliable power, and inspire the next generation of innovators. Projects like Aalo-X reflect the promise of nuclear energy to meet our nation’s historic demand growth and help enable a more prosperous future for our nation.”
"When Aalo-X achieves criticality next year, it will become the first new sodium-cooled reactor to start operation in the US in over four decades,” commented Yasir Arafat, Cofounder and CTO at Aalo Atomics, who previously led the MARVEL project at the INL. “Aalo-X is just the beginning as we are poised to deploy nuclear power on a scale that far exceeds the first atomic age.”
Aalo-X will be manufactured at Aalo’s 40,000 square foot pilot factory in Austin, Texas, before being transported to and installed at INL. The Aalo-X is the precursor to the Aalo Pod which is expected to provide commercial power in 2029. The Aalo Pod is a 50 MWe XMR power plant purpose-built for data centers. Each Aalo Pod contains five Aalo-1 reactors, is fully modular (both the reactor and the plant) and can scale seamlessly to gigawatts. With a small physical footprint and no need for external water sources, the Aalo Pod is easy to collocate onsite with the data center. Aalo-1 reactors are factory built, sodium-cooled, and use proven, safe, readily available low-enriched uranium dioxide fuel.