The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has accepted a Construction Permit Application (CPA) to deploy NANO Nuclear Energy’s KRONOS micro modular reactor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U. of I.). 

The acceptance allows the NRC to begin its safety, environmental, and technical reviews, moving the project from the planning stage to regulatory evaluation.

The KRONOS MMR is a fourth Generation nuclear energy system designed to deliver electricity to users. The system provides carbon-free process heat and electricity for co-located industries such as data and AI centers, chemical and industrial operations, and population centers.

As a stationary installation, the KRONOS MMR produces power up to 45 MWth in a single-unit configuration, while a multi-unit configuration delivers giga-watt level power.

The modular system can be transported by road and assembled on site, and it forms part of a multi-system deployment to allow for scaling and lowering the levelized cost of electricity.

The application was submitted in March, by U. of I., which is partnering with NANO Nuclear for the full-scale reactor project. With the NRC’s acceptance, the KRONOS system is among the Generation IV advanced nuclear reactors to reach the CPA stage of the US regulatory process.

Engineering and regulatory engagement

Florent Heidet, Chief Technical Officer of NANO Nuclear Energy, stated that entering the NRC review process represents a transition from development toward deployment. 

“Acceptance of the Construction Permit Application for review confirms that the NRC has determined the submission contains the information necessary to begin detailed technical evaluation,” said Heidet.

He indicated that reaching this stage requires engineering and regulatory engagement, and it separates the project from advanced reactor designs that remain in the early phases of development.

NANO Nuclear estimates that the NRC review will be completed in 2027. Based on this timeline, the company projects that nuclear construction activities on the U. of I. campus will begin in the second half of 2027. 

The company is currently focusing on deployment readiness, which includes procurement discussions for reactor components and long-lead systems. 

Engineering teams are also developing a reduced-scale, non-nuclear KRONOS MMR engineering demonstration unit at a technical facility in Oak Brook, Illinois, to support design validation.

To provide electricity and heat

The KRONOS reactor is a proprietary, stationary high-temperature gas-cooled microreactor. It is designed to be smaller than traditional nuclear facilities, allowing for transport and scaling. 

NANO Nuclear intends to secure regulatory approval for a standardized commercial power reactor to provide electricity and heat for data centers, industrial facilities, remote communities, mining projects, and military bases.

Caleb Brooks, a professor of nuclear engineering at U. of I.’s Grainger College of Engineering, noted that universities contribute to demonstrating technologies that address energy requirements and national needs. 

The university will continue to work with NANO Nuclear and the NRC throughout the subsequent review and evaluation process.

“As we advance through the regulatory process, our teams are increasingly focused on activities supporting future deployment readiness, including advancing supply chain engagement and procurement discussions for key reactor systems and long-lead components,” concluded Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear Energy.