US-based start-up NANO Nuclear Energy says the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued its final Safety Evaluation (SE) approving the Fuel Qualification Methodology Topical Report (FQM TR) for the advanced fuel design to be used in the NANO’s KRONOS MMR Energy System.

NANO said this marks the successful culmination of a rigorous review process and represents a major step toward deployment of the KRONOS reactor prototype at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UI).

NANO Nuclear earlier in April signed a strategic collaboration with UI to construct the first research KRONOS micro modular reactor (MMR) on the university’s campus. The KRONOS MMR (formerly MMR Energy System) was recently acquired from UNSC following its bankruptcy. The agreement established UI as a partner in the licensing, siting, public engagement, and research operation of the KRONOS MMR, identifying the university campus as the permanent site for the reactor as a research and demonstration installation.

The approved FQM defines the regulatory framework and testing approach for the qualification of Fully Ceramic Microencapsulated (FCM) fuel, which incorporates tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles embedded in a silicon carbide matrix.

NANO Nuclear is now positioned to submit its Construction Permit Application for the KRONOS reactor, with fuel qualification rapidly progressing. “This is a major victory for advanced nuclear energy and a transformative moment for NANO Nuclear, bringing us closer to turning the promise of KRONOS into a working reality at UI,” said NANO Nuclear CEO James Walker. “With the NRC’s final approval of the FQM Topical Report, we now have the regulatory green light to move forward with the Construction Permit (CP) application for the prototype KRONOS.”

US-based start-up NANO Nuclear Energy has signed a strategic collaboration with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UI) to construct the first research KRONOS micro modular reactor (MMR) on the university’s campus. The KRONOS MMR (formerly MMR Energy System) was recently acquired from UNSC following its bankruptcy. The agreement formally establishes UI as a partner in the licensing, siting, public engagement, and research operation of the KRONOS MMR, while also identifying the university campus as the permanent site for the reactor as a research and demonstration installation.

Illinois Grainger Engineering Associate Professor Caleb Brooks, Head of the Microreactor Demonstration Programme at UI said fuel is one of the biggest sources of uncertainty in any advanced nuclear project. “This favourable regulatory outcome represents a significant reduction in that uncertainty for our project, and the SE establishes a common language between us and the regulator on how the fuel will be shown, with high assurance, to be safe and effective.”

The FQM TR had previously undergone joint review by the NRC and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), with initial participation from the UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) as an observer. NANO Nuclear believes that final approval of the FQM TR by the NRC demonstrates confidence in the methodology’s scientific soundness and regulatory compliance, offering a repeatable pathway for advanced fuel qualification applicable to NANO Nuclear reactors.

Dr Florent Heidet, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Reactor Development at NANO Nuclear noted: “Our next steps include finalizing fuel fabrication timelines, preparing and submitting the construction permit this year, and completing early-stage site work at UI, including geotechnical drilling and environmental assessments. We will keep accelerating until the reactor is operating.”

Jay Yu, Founder & Chairman of NANO Nuclear said NANO Nuclear “is doing what others are still planning—we are executing”. He added that NRC’s approval of the FQM TR “is more than a regulatory milestone; it’s a launchpad for reliable, deployable, and efficient nuclear power in the US and beyond”.