Valar Atomics, Inc. proposes to construct and operate the Ward250 research reactor at the Utah San Rafael Energy Research Center (USREL).
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
April 22, 2026
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Valar Atomics, Inc. proposes to construct and operate the Ward250 research reactor at the Utah San Rafael Energy Research Center (USREL). Ward250 is a 250 kilowatt thermal (kWth) high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) research facility and will utilize tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) coated particle fuel, helium coolant, and graphite moderator and reflector. The facility will operate under U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) authorization. The facility will be located at USREL, a state-operated energy research facility on a 20.6-acre site in a rural area of central Utah. The Ward250 facility comprises the Reactor Complex and Fuel Laboratory enclosed within a security-fenced area occupying approximately two acres.