Facility will be used for research and as part of company’s long-term reactor strategy
US-based nuclear reactor technology company Nano Nuclear Energy has signed an agreement with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to build the first research Kronos micro modular reactor (MMR) on the university’s campus.
The agreement formally establishes the university as a partner in the licensing, siting, public engagement and research operation of the Kronos MMR. It also identifies the university campus as the permanent site for the reactor as a research and demonstration installation.
The milestone marks the beginning of site-specific development for Nano Nuclear’s advanced Kronos MMR technology and represents a defining moment in Nano Nuclear’s path to commercialisation of the Kronos MMR Energy System, Nano Nuclear said in a statement.
Company founder and chairman Jay Yu said that with a site now selected Nano Nuclear is positioned to be among the first companies to deliver advanced reactor systems within the US.
He said the planned reactor will serve both as a research reactor and a proving ground for the future of safe, portable and resilient nuclear energy. The agreement will serve as a foundation for the company’s long-term reactor strategy, he said.
Nano Nuclear will now begin key work including geological characterisation to support preparation of a construction permit application for submission to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
Nano Nuclear and the University of Illinois will work together throughout the regulatory licensing process, plant design implementation, public and stakeholder engagement and workforce development. As part of the agreement, the university will lead the regulatory engagement with the NRC.
In January Nano Nuclear closed an $8m (€7.2m) deal to acquire the major assets of the bankrupt Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation, a midsize startup that was developing microreactor technology and advanced nuclear fuel.
Nano Nuclear’s Kronos MMR Energy System is a stationary high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR).
An HTGR is a type of gas-cooled nuclear reactor which uses uranium fuel and graphite moderation to produce very high reactor core output temperatures. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, interest in HTGRs is increasing because they can provide efficient and cost-effective electricity and produce high-temperature process heat usable for various industrial applications.
Nano Nuclear is also developing the Zeus solid core battery reactor, Odin, a low-pressure coolant reactor, and the portable Loki MMR, which is designed for space applications.
