US-based start-up microreactor developer Terra Innovatum and AI infrastructure company Uvation have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to launch a 1 MWe pilot programme with a strategic option to scale up to 100 MWe to support Uvation’s rapidly-growing AI and data centre infrastructure.
Terra Innovatum is developing SOLO, a 4 MWe/20 MWt micro-modular reactor (MMR) designed for applications such as off-grid military complexes. It was conceptualised in 2018 and the design was developed over seven 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. Terra Innovatum says SOLO can easily scale up to deliver 1 GWe or more with a minimal footprint.
While there is minimal information about the reactor technology, the SOLO design reportedly features a thermally-moderated, helium-cooled nuclear reactor. This includes a “solid heterogeneous composite moderator”. It is intended to accommodate both traditional zircaloy-clad low-enriched (below 5%) uranium (LEU) fuel or, when available, LEU+ and high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuels. The reactor design decouples cooling and moderation functions, “providing inherent safety features that significantly reduce its risk profile”.
The reactor features autonomous operation, on-line safeguards-by-design, and a defence-in-depth structure of radiological barriers aimed at to minimising or eliminating emergency planning zone (EPZ) requirements beyond the operational boundary. As well as a power supply, it can also provide heat for industrial applications and other specialised processes.
“Uvation’s data centre expansion requires infrastructure that is not only scalable, but fundamentally resilient,” said Innovatum Co-Founder & CEO Alessandro Petruzzi. “By integrating Terra Innovatum’s SOLO micro-modular reactor, we will offer a behind-the-meter energy source capable of delivering safe, stable, high-density power that traditional grids cannot guarantee. SOLO adds built-in safety and provides redundancy – important for data centres, de-risking energy deployment during maintenance or shutdowns, ensuring continuity independent of power shortages, and enhancing cybersecurity protection. This enables next-generation, high-performance modular data centres powered by a clean, uninterrupted energy backbone – unlocking new possibilities for AI, HPC [high-performance computing], and mission-critical workloads.”
Giordano Morichi, Terra Innovatum Founding Partner, Chief Business Development Officer & Investor Relations noted: “As AI infrastructure outpaces today’s grid, the constraint is no longer processing power – it’s reliable, cost-effective power. Uvation’s future commitment to behind-the-meter nuclear reflects a broader market reality: energy security now defines the speed at which AI can scale. SOLO fast-tracks AI commercialisation by providing near-instant, CO2-free, revenue-generating power while sidestepping the delays and capex overruns inherent to traditional grid-dependent solutions. This agreement also strengthens our commercial deployment and positions nuclear as the most viable path to support Uvation’s planned multi-gigawatt growth in the AI and data centre sector.”
Reen Singh, CEO of Uvation, commented: “Power shortages have been major forces in this industry’s project delays. By integrating Terra Innovatum’s SOLO reactor into our future roadmap, we will look to secure immediate power along with a reliable, behind-the-meter energy source that enables scalable AI, inference, and edge deployments. Our future 1 MWe SOLO pilot programme represents a critical first step, with a path to expand to 100 MWe across multiple sites and potentially several megawatt-scale installations throughout the US.”
Terra Innovatum said it is anticipated that SOLO will be available globally within the next three years. An investor presentation in October included updates to the timeline for the deployment. The Company now expects first-of-a-kind (FOAK) deployment in 2027 and commercialisation in 2028. The investor presentation previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September had indicated 2028 for deployment and 2029 for commercialisation.
The Company also provided the key regulatory milestones needed to achieve its 2028 commercialisation target. These included:
- Initiated Construction Permit Application Activities – 2025
- Initiate Operating Licence Application Activities – 2026
- Submit Preliminary Safety Analysis Report – 2026
- Initiate Commercial Licence Application Activities – 2026
- Expected Construction Permit Approval – 2027
- FOAK SOLO delivered to site
- Expected Operating Licence Approval – 2027
- FOAK SOLO begins operating
- Expected Commercial Licence Approval – 2028
- Commercialisation in 2028.
In July Terra Innovatum signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with US-based TechSource to accelerate the commercialisation of SOLO. The partnership aimed to enhance regulatory progress and expand access to US Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Defense (now Department of WAR) programmes. Also in July a MOU was signed with Rock City Admiral Parkway Development in Illinois to host the first deployment site for the SOLO reactor with an option to deploy up to 50 on the site in the future. The reactor(s) would supply power to the businesses operating at the park.
In September Terra Innovatum signed memoranda of understanding (MOU) with Argentina’s Conuar for the supply of critical components to be used in the production of SOLO and with Italy’s ATB Riva Calzoni, a global supplier and manufacturer of nuclear components. In October, another MOU was signed with US-based energy solutions provider Ameresco, to establish a comprehensive framework for siting, development, construction, integration, operation, and decommissioning planning for SOLO.
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has been engaged in pre-application activities with Terra Innovatum since January 2025, according to the company website. In September the company submitted “key regulatory documents” which are now under legal review.
