US-based start-up NANO Nuclear Energy is to provide critical engineering and environmental services for planned construction and deployment activities at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) for its KRONOS MMR Energy System microreactor.
NANO Nuclear has engaged infrastructure company AECOM under a master services agreement to support site-specific engineering, environmental analysis and regulatory planning at UIUC. The agreement lays the groundwork for site-specific engineering in preparation for deploying the first KRONOS MMR. Planned activities include detailed environmental reviews, regulatory pathway planning, and site drilling to obtain the geological data required for submitting a construction permit application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
“This milestone marks a pivotal step in NANO Nuclear’s development roadmap for the KRONOS MMR, our most advanced microreactor design,” said NANO Nuclear CEO James Walker. “Our work at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign demonstrates our commitment to turning next-generation nuclear technology into real-world energy solutions. Building and operating one of the first licensed microreactors on a US university campus places NANO Nuclear at the forefront of the microreactor industry.”
The project represents a critical step in NANO Nuclear’s mission to deploy microreactor systems across remote, commercial, and defence sectors. “Our progress at UIUC is a critical signal to the market: we’re not just designing next-gen reactors, we’re moving forward efficiently with building them, testing them, and preparing for regulatory licensing and real-world deployment,” said Jay Yu, Founder & Executive Chairman of NANO Nuclear. Once we receive the construction permit for the KRONOS MMR, we believe we will be firmly in the lead within the United States microreactor race, and we believe this agreement is a key inflection point in our journey.”
