US-based start-up NANO Nuclear Energy has signed a strategic collaboration with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I) 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 U of I 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.
“This is the milestone we’ve been working so diligently towards, transforming design into reality,” said Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear Energy. “With a site now selected and a world-class university as our partner, we are positioned to be among the first companies to deliver advanced reactor systems within the United States. This isn’t just a research reactor, it’s a proving ground for the future of safe, portable, and resilient nuclear energy. Moreover, this agreement will serve as a foundation for our long-term reactor strategy.”
Following initial arrangements, NANO Nuclear will begin the process of geological characterisation, including subsurface investigations, to support preparation of a Construction Permit Application (CPA) for submission to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). This preparatory work is essential to understanding the environmental parameters of the site, including critical inputs to safety analysis, to ensure the utmost reliability and safety of the facility, and support NANO Nuclear’s Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR) and Environmental Report (ER).
“The start of geotechnical investigations represents our first physical action toward constructing the KRONOS MMR,” said NANO Nuclear CEO James Walker. “This is a powerful signal to the industry, to investors, and to regulators: NANO Nuclear is building. We are not theorizing. We are much beyond conceptualising. We are moving toward construction, and this is only the first step.”
As part of the agreement, U. of I. will lead the regulatory engagement with the NRC as well as public engagement, support licensing activities including the PSAR and Environmental Report, and play a key role in site layout, constructability assessment, and future operator training programs. NANO Nuclear will oversee plant design, construction, system integration, and commercial pathway development.
“The KRONOS MMR project can not only be a national first, it can be a first for academia, enabling students, researchers, regulators, and the public to learn directly from a real-world microreactor development effort,” said Illinois Grainger Engineering Professor Caleb Brooks, Principal Investigator for the University of Illinois. “This system can be the most advanced nuclear research platform on any US campus, with the potential to enable a new paradigm of nuclear power through education, research, and at scale demonstration.”
