Tripathi reported in late December 2025 that the XMRs swap traditional water cooling for liquid sodium metal, allowing for a more compact and efficient design. Aalo Atomics has accelerated its push toward a 2026 first criticality goal by shipping five nuclear reactor test modules to the Idaho National Laboratory (INL).
Aalo shipped its first 5 nuclear modules out of our factory in Austin, Texas. Aalo Atomics
This project is part of a broader US Department of Energy (DOE) pilot program involving 10 advanced reactor developers aiming for operation by July 4, 2026. The company’s roadmap begins with the Aalo-0 prototype and the 10-MW sodium-cooled Aalo-X pilot, eventually scaling to the “Aalo Pod,” which combines five reactors to generate 50 MW of power for high-demand users.
“This small step is the beginning of something that will become routine within a few years, at 1000x the scale,” said Matt Loszak, Co-founder and CEO of Aalo Atomics.
A new category of nuclear technology
The shipment from Aalo’s Austin-based pilot factory introduces the “extra-modular reactor” (XMR), a design intended to fill the market gap between microreactors and small modular reactors (SMRs). Unlike traditional plants that rely on water, these XMRs utilize liquid sodium metal coolant.
This choice allows for significantly higher energy density and more efficient power production, specifically tailored to support energy-intensive infrastructure like data centers.
Streamlined manufacturing and testing
The non-nuclear modules now at INL will be used to conduct integral effects tests and steam production trials. These engineering-scale tests are designed to prove that the company’s standardized manufacturing process works as intended before the radioactive Aalo-X pilot reactor begins operation.
By focusing on factory-built components that can be assembled quickly on-site, Aalo intends to demonstrate a faster, more predictable path to commercial nuclear deployment.
Advanced engineering and design integration
This streamlined approach is bolstered by several key engineering innovations that differentiate Aalo from traditional nuclear providers. The Aalo-1 design is heavily inspired by the DOE’s MARVEL (Microreactor Applications Research Validation and EvaLuation) project. Aalo’s CTO, Yasir Arafat, was a key driver of the MARVEL program, and Aalo’s commercial design leverages its low-pressure, metal-hydride fuel matrix. This architecture provides inherent passive safety because if power is lost, the fuel naturally expands to stop the reaction without human intervention.
Operational efficiency is further enhanced because liquid sodium operates at atmospheric pressure, meaning Aalo’s reactors do not require the massive,
high-pressure containment domes seen in conventional plants. The use of air-cooled condensers also means the Aalo Pod can operate without a constant external water source, making it ideal for arid regions or landlocked data centers.
To meet its ambitious 2026 deadline, Aalo is utilizing vertical drilling techniques for site excavation rather than traditional blasting. This surgical approach to rock excavation is roughly 50% faster and significantly quieter, allowing for precise reactor shaft installation with minimal surface impact.
Regulatory and industrial milestones
Following a June 2025 executive order to reform reactor testing, Aalo secured its site allocation at the INL and cleared necessary environmental reviews. In a recent move to further accelerate deployment, the company partnered with Microsoft to develop AI agents that streamline the complex nuclear permitting process.
By turning regulatory requirements into actionable digital intelligence, Aalo aims to move from founding to fission in record time.
“We’ll take this power plant (not just a test reactor) to full power operation in the months that follow, and power what we believe will be the world’s first co-built nuclear plant and data center,” concluded Loszak.
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