The doors are officially open at a massive, repurposed steel dome in Idaho, and could be one of the most important workspaces for the future of energy. Officials recently gathered at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to celebrate the grand opening of the Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME).

DOME is a first-of-its-kind test bed designed to help private companies build and test small, advanced nuclear reactors. The goal is to get new energy tech into the world as fast as possible to provide reliable and affordable power.

A Nuclear Test Bed For Future Technology

The facility was built inside the shell of the old Experimental Breeder Reactor-II. Standing 100 feet tall and 80 feet wide, the structure now offers a safe, flexible space where engineers can run experiments that generate up to 20 megawatts of thermal energy.

Instead of companies spending years and millions of dollars building their own high-security testing sites, they can use DOME. This move was actually sped up by nearly a year to help the industry keep up with the country’s growing power needs.

“DOME represents the kind of bold and creative infrastructure investment that America’s nuclear resurgence demands,” said INL Director John Wagner. “We are accelerating the next generation of nuclear innovators from concept to demonstration at a pace the industry has not seen in decades.”

Bringing Ideas to Life

For a long time, the biggest hurdle for nuclear innovation has been the gap between a good idea and a working machine. DOME fills that gap by providing the data developers need to prove their designs work and get them licensed.

“The DOME test bed will be a cornerstone of the Department of Energy’s comprehensive strategy to re-establish U.S. leadership in advanced nuclear technologies,” said Dr. Rian Bahran, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Reactors. “By providing essential infrastructure for testing and validation of new reactor designs, DOME directly supports our programmatic goals, accelerating the development and deployment of innovative solutions vital for energy security and economic growth for the United States. It is a testament to our commitment to a robust nuclear future.”

The first project, Radiant’s Kaleidos Demonstration Unit, is scheduled to start a year-long testing program this spring. According to NRIC Director Brad Tomer, this is exactly what the industry needs.

“NRIC built this test bed to answer the need of industry to have a facility that would enable them to swiftly convert their innovative concepts into practical demonstrations,” Tomer said. “With the information gathered from their testing at DOME, reactor developers will turn pioneering ideas into validated technologies to advance nuclear energy.

Tomer added, “We are extremely proud to offer this capability and cannot wait to see the impact it has on the nuclear industry.”