Aalo Atomics

As the nuclear industry approaches the administration's July 4th criticality deadline, it's worth restating Aalo's 2026 plan for beyond criticality. Focus shifts post-criticality to Aalo-X, our full-scale advanced XMR targeting operation in 2027. Aalo-X is an advanced nuclear power plant: sodium-cooled, 10 MWe, with air-cooled condensers and all auxiliary and safety systems. It's one unit cell of Aalo's commercial "Pod" product for data centers, which scales from a single 10 MWe module to a 50 MWe Pod, which itself is repeatably deployable to form 200 MWe multi-unit power stations or more. What we prove at 10 MWe gets multiplied many times over: a plug-and-play reactor building block. On NASA's Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale (1-9), Aalo-X is designed to reach TRL 9: a full demonstration in an operational environment. When we finish, Aalo-X will have graduated from an experimental to a proven system. After first criticality in early 2027, we'll raise power in steps to the full 30 MWth rating. Sustained power operation, validation, and testing will have produced an exhaustive dataset on neutronics, thermal performance, fuel behavior, and O&M thereafter. Beyond reactors: in 2026, we built a skid-mounted sodium test loop. Now it's in Idaho. Our technicians packed it up, modularized it, tarped it, and trucked it 1,452 miles. The loop qualifies key components, including heat exchangers, plugging meters, cold traps, and heat trace at operating temperature and flow. We also need full-scale sodium testing. That's why we're building Aalo-0, a plant-scale non-nuclear unit that simulates integral effects with 60,000 lbs of flowing sodium at operating conditions. Construction is well underway, with several modules completed and shipped for weld qualifications. This project is targeting Fall 2026 to load sodium and begin testing. Aalo-X and Aalo-0 are two exciting pieces in our roadmap to nuclear commercialization and providing power to data centers following criticality at our Critical Test Reactor (CTR) site at INL.

Graphite moderators are used in nuclear reactors to slow down neutrons and sustain the fission reaction. Here, Andrea Jokisaari, Ph.D, loads graphite into the core of Aalo's Critical Test Reactor. Watch the video: https://lnkd.in/gv3sGZP4

We’re hiring a Senior Vice President of Commercial Sales at Aalo Atomics in Austin, TX! Drive go-to-market strategy and accelerate adoption of advanced nuclear microreactors across utilities, industry, and government, while closing complex, first-of-a-kind deals. This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of energy at scale. Interested? Let’s connect.

Podcast interview with Matt Loszak and Yasir Arafat out now, discussing Aalo's approach to criticality and commercialization, how the AI data center boom supports nuclear resurgence, nuclear safety, and energy abundance.

As the AI buildout collides with grid limitations, Aalo is mass-manufacturing modular nuclear power plants designed to sit directly next to data centers. On-site assembly, sodium-cooled, transportable by truck, and 50 MWe of energy per Pod. Aalo-X, our first reactor at Idaho National Laboratory and the first new reactor built on DOE land in 50 years, is targeting criticality by July 4, 2026. Thanks Forbes for stopping by and sharing our story, featuring Matt Loszak and Yasir Arafat.

I grew up in Bangladesh, studying by candlelight when the power went out. Today Forbes featured Aalo Atomics and our plan: serve the hyperscalers first, drive the cost curve down, then bring abundant clean energy to every kid who's ever wondered if the lights would stay on. https://lnkd.in/gaDDCj8z

We’re hiring a Senior Test Engineer in Austin, TX! At Aalo Atomics, testing drives design. We’re looking for a hands‑on engineer to build and run the prototype test systems that help us develop microreactors faster and safer. If you love learning directly from real hardware, let’s talk. View the role and apply at the link below. Jared Fraisure

Episode 3 of “Critical Thinking” is live: Inside the Core. Every reactor design comes down to one bet: your chosen combination of fuel, coolant, and moderator. For Aalo-1, we picked UO2, liquid sodium, and graphite. This episode explains why. We get into some real engineering: fast vs thermal spectrum, HALEU+, the role of the graphite moderator, and how neutronics, thermal hydraulics, shielding, and manufacturing must come together to make a reactor real. It's a long one (52 minutes - get out some headphones and go for a walk!). Watch here: https://lnkd.in/gx8QKb38