Terra Innovatum has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ATB Riva Calzoni, a global supplier and manufacturer of nuclear components, for the development of Terra Innovatum’s SOLO micro-modular nuclear reactor.
SOLO is a 4 MWe/20 MWt micro-modular reactor (MMR) designed for applications such as off-grid military complexes. SOLO was conceptualised in 2018 and engineered over six years. It will be built from readily available commercial off-the-shelf components simplifying the licensing path to enable rapid deployment, minimising supply chain risks, and ensuring final cost predictability. It is designed to use both low enriched uranium and high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) “offering a platform ready to transition to future fuel supplies”. Terra Innovatum anticipates that SOLO will be available globally within the next three years.
Terra Innovatum says SOLO is designed to offer a wide range of versatile applications, providing CO2-free, behind-the-meter, and off-grid power solutions for data centres, mini-grids serving remote towns and villages, and large-scale industrial operations in hard-to-abate sectors such as cement production, oil and gas, steel manufacturing, and mining. It also has the ability to supply heat for industrial applications and other specialised processes, including water treatment, desalination and co-generation.
SOLO can easily scale up to deliver 1 GWe or more with a minimal footprint, making it an ideal solution for rapidly replacing fossil fuel-based thermal plants. Beyond electricity and heat generation, it can also contribute to critical applications in the medical sector by producing radioisotopes essential for oncology research and cancer treatment.
The framework for collaboration marks a breakthrough for commercialisation, unlocking the manufacturing scale and expertise needed to deliver SOLO from concept to commercial reality. The multi-phase collaboration agreement supports SOLO development by advancing component readiness and accelerating production scale-up.
Terra Innovatum and ATB will conduct joint feasibility studies and advance component design, safety evaluations, engineering validation, and regulatory and project risk assessments. At the commercialisation stage, ATB is expected to lead component manufacturing and commissioning and to support commercial production and manufacturing at scale.
“Signing this MOU with ATB is a major inflection point as we move closer to making the first commercial deployment of the SOLO micro-modular reactor a reality,” said Alessandro Petruzzi, CEO of Terra Innovatum. “Our shared commitment to quality and innovation will enable us to deliver reliable, affordable clean energy where it’s needed most, quickly and at scale.”
Giordano Morichi, Partner, Chief Business Development Officer & Investor Relations noted: “With a leading manufacturing partner in place, already serving several nuclear leaders and colossal industry manufacturers, our path forward is clear, de-risked, and we are confident in deploying SOLO to by our target of 2028.”
Francesco Squaratti, Managing Director, ATB Riva Calzoni said: “Combining ATB’s century-long legacy in complex energy infrastructure with Terra Innovatum’s micro-modular technology will help set new benchmarks in safety, performance, and sustainability for the nuclear industry.”
Read more: New partnership to promote SOLO MMR
