US Antares to Apply Racing Power Electronics to Microreactors

Antares, a US nuclear fission energy company, recently announced a partnership with UK technology supplier Motion Applied to deploy the latter's race-proven power electronics in its microreactor power conversion system.

According to Antares, Motion Applied has long served motorsport and other demanding applications, accumulating expertise in high-performance electronics and electrification technologies. This collaboration will enable Antares to use more mature, production-grade hardware in its microreactor program, reducing the time and cost associated with developing dedicated power conversion equipment from scratch.

Rian Bahran, Chief Nuclear Officer at Antares, stated that the nuclear industry has long relied on custom-built equipment—an approach that offers engineering advantages but also drives up costs. He noted that the automotive industry has invested heavily in power electronics R&D and achieved manufacturing scales that the nuclear market alone could not support. Since the power output of Antares' reactor is comparable to that of high-performance automotive powertrains, the company can leverage existing supply chains and engineering expertise.

Antares' power conversion program is led by Luiz Oliveira, who previously worked in powertrain development at Honda Performance Development, Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains, and Czinger Vehicles, focusing on motorsport and high-performance automotive powertrain R&D, including hybrid powertrain development and vehicle validation. He noted that motorsport imposes frequent, public validation requirements on component performance and reliability, an environment that has fostered the development of highly reliable components as well as high-volume manufacturing experience.

Samir Maha, CEO of Motion Applied, stated that the company's power electronics products are developed for environments demanding high efficiency, durability, and reliability. Through the partnership with Antares, the company will apply these capabilities to next-generation compact power systems, helping accelerate deployment and reduce technical risk.

Antares stated that it will maintain vertical integration in critical areas. Its facility in Torrance, California, handles reactor hardware machining, assembly, and testing, while certain components such as nuclear-grade graphite, forgings, and specialized instrumentation will continue to be custom-manufactured. Meanwhile, the company will screen other components, prioritizing proven, mature parts with scalable supply capacity.

Founded in 2023, Antares develops compact microreactors for applications including defense and space. The company stated that its Mark-0 microreactor achieved initial criticality in 2026 with support from the US Department of Energy's Reactor Pilot Program, with power generation planned for 2027 and first deployments slated for 2028.