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Valor Atomics updates Farrin council on small modular reactor project in Orangeville
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Summary
Valor Atomics gave a technical presentation on a modular reactor project in Orangeville, describing helium-cooled modular units, recent construction milestones and a target demonstration timeline; council members asked about safety, licensing and water use.
Jeff Askewirth, a presenter for Valor Atomics, described the company’s small modular reactor (SMR) project in Orangeville and walked the Farrin City Council and the public through recent construction work, the technology’s basic design and the testing plan.
"We're bringing a small modular nuclear reactor to Orangeville," Askewirth said, describing the system as a compact, transportable module that fits within shipping-container-sized units. He said the reactor uses helium as a coolant rather than water and explained that the demonstration stage will initially produce heat (not grid electricity) before progressing to power production.
Askewirth told the council Valor completed substantial concrete and foundation work and that the project has already run construction and test operations at the site. He cited a target to reach an early demonstration milestone around July 4, 2026: "We will go critical by July 4 of next year of 2026," he said, framing the date as the company’s demonstration goal. He also said the demonstrator core is small — roughly a 100 kilowatt heat demonstration now — and emphasized design features and factory-fabrication goals for repeatable units.
Council members asked for specifics about safety reviews, regulatory approvals and the source, storage and on-site handling of nuclear fuel. Askewirth said the design-safety analysis and licensing work are ongoing and described fuel as being handled and stored under standard, designated procedures; he also described testing where electric-resistive rods were used as a surrogate for fuel during early validation runs.
Members asked about water use for operations and the presenter said current manufacturing and demonstration phases use limited water but acknowledged that larger power-producing operations would require additional water planning.
On jobs, Askewirth said the site employs roughly 110–130 people on the construction site and that approximately 15–30 full-time employees are local hires so far; he said future manufacturing activity could increase local employment significantly.
What happens next: Askewirth said he would remain available to answer follow-up technical and permitting questions and invited interested residents to talk after the meeting.
