US-based start-up NANO Nuclear Energy announced that the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has updated the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I) project landing page (NRC Project No. 99902094) relating to the KRONOS MMR Energy System pre-application engagement, officially designating NANO Nuclear as the reactor’s designer.
US-In January, NANO Nuclear drew attention to its recently acquired intellectual property pertaining to its modular microreactor technologies under development, now encompassing patents granted across multiple jurisdictions. The patents were acquired by NANO Nuclear the collapse of US nuclear start-up Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC).
USNC initiated the process to sell its assets in November 2024 through a public auction under a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. NANO executed a definitive agreement to acquire the nuclear energy technology assets from USNC and some of its subsidiaries on 24 December. The acquired assets include USNC’s patented Micro Modular Reactor (MMR) system, along with all associated patents and other intellectual property rights, as well as its Pylon reactor technology and related intellectual property.
The assets acquired by NANO for $8.5m in cash included 38 issued and pending or published patents, including six issued and four pending or published US utility patents and three issued and four pending Earlier NANO Nuclear said the MMR Energy System would be rebranded as the KRONOS MMR and Pylon as the LOKI MMR.
At that time, NANO Nuclear signalled its intent to extend an existing collaboration for this project with U of I to demonstrate the system’s technology readiness level. NANO Nuclear said the adjustment to the university’s regulatory docket reflects the ongoing progress of these efforts and underscores NANO Nuclear’s commitment to guiding the KRONOS MMR Energy System through demonstration and all applicable regulatory processes.
