He added that it could drive a car around the Earth 7,000 times or accelerate a 100-lb craft to 37% the speed of light.
The test reactor is currently generating 100 kilowatts of electricity, which powered the Blackwell chip during the demonstration.
Taylor described the process: uranium atoms fission every second, producing 100 kilowatts of thermal energy, which is extracted by the helium cooling loop and converted to electricity via a thermal electric generator.
Valar Atomics, founded in 2023, broke ground in Utah last September and reached criticality on June 18, 2026.
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Taylor credited four executive orders signed by President Donald Trump last year for streamlining the startup’s progress.
“When government works hand in hand to fulfill its proper function — that is, to protect the public while allowing growth and innovation — beautiful things can happen,” Taylor said.
Max Ukropina, head of projects at Valar Atomics, addressed public concerns about utility costs and local resource consumption.
“For families in Orangeville and Emery County, and for Americans concerned about their electric and water bills, this partnership delivers concrete reassurance,” Ukropina said.
The project intends to create high-skill jobs in reactor operations, data center engineering, and advanced manufacturing, while attracting private capital and generating sustained tax revenue without straining local water supplies.
Emy Lesofski, director of Utah’s Office of Energy Development, expressed the state’s support under Governor Spencer Cox’s “Operation Gigawatt” initiative.
“We in Utah are grateful to be a part of their story and proud to be a part of America’s nuclear future,” Lesofski said.
