A company working on what may be the next step in supplying electric power to public and private developments has opened an office in the CSRA.
Local government and business leaders were on hand when Antares Industries, a California-based company, officially opened its local office at 106 Park Ave SW in Aiken, SC. Antares specializes in nuclear fission energy systems, including fission microreactors, also known as Small Modular Reactors (SMR).
“For over 20 years, we’ve been talking about small modular reactors, micro reactors, the private sector getting involved in the nuclear industry,” said Aiken County Council Chairman Gary Bunker. “It is just absolutely wonderful to see a beachhead established here in Aiken by your company in support of the microreactors, this whole industry here. And I can’t imagine a better place that you’d want to be in, particularly from a workforce standpoint.”
Antares has moved the development of microreactors from the theoretical drawing board to real-life execution. It is building its first unit at the Idaho Natural Laboratory. They are on track to place one at Joint Base San Antonio (Texas) for the U.S. Air Force.
Matt Griffin, head of nuclear affairs for Antares, told ABD that setting up shop in Aiken was a natural progression.
“Aiken has an amazing workforce. We’re nuclear knowledgeable here,” he said. “That was really apparent to me when I went to USC-Aiken to meet with the students. Their parents work at the Savannah River National Laboratory, or they have relatives that work at the site, so they already know about nuclear; they’re already comfortable with those topics, and they know enough to ask the good questions. So, just having that base knowledge, it really gives our students a head start, and then our workforce is already nuclear, knowledgeable.”
Although the current technology focuses on military applications, commercial development of microreactors and SMRs could also present an answer to the question of how to power data centers, noted for the amount of energy necessary to support their operations.
Robbie Bennett, President and CEO of the SRS Community Reuse Organization (SRSCRO), said in addition to making development of data centers more palatable, the facilities are an important part of national security.
“We’re not talking small, cloud-based data centers anymore, we’re talking AI data centers. AI that’s powering things like the Genesis mission. AI that’s powering our ability to learn faster and adapt better,” he explained. “That is a critical component that we have to figure out. You cannot do that without the right power supply and a strong base load. Power is critical, and that’s what small module reactors do. That’s what micro reactors do.”
Griffin said another benefit to having an office in Aiken is the proximity to educational institutions. In February, Antares signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with USCA. It is also working to partner with Aiken Technical College and the Aiken Public School District’s Career and Technology Center.
“That’s a lot of my focus,” he said. Those institutions are key because we don’t need just nuclear engineers. We need all of the workforce. We need folks that can do all the different pieces. We are going to be building programs with the broader community, and bringing that workforce when it’s needed, and it’s needed now.”
Antares also has a partnership with the SRNL Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative on the USC-Aiken campus, and a funded CRADA (Cooperative Research and Development Agreement) with SRNL to support fuel cycle management and reactor deployment.
For Bennett, having Antares in Aiken County means there is another company leading the area to economic success.
“Their company is one of the biggest champions of our community, of the state, and really want to help push us forward. That is something you cannot ask for. It is something that they are willingly giving. They set us up for long-term success, and I’m excited for what comes next,” he said.
