NANO Nuclear Advances KRONOS MMR™ Construction Program and Deployment at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
New York, N.Y., July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:NNE) ("NANO Nuclear" or "the Company"), a leading advanced nuclear energy and technology company focused on developing clean energy solutions, today announced that it will provide critical engineering and environmental services for NANO Nuclear's planned construction and deployment activities at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) for its cutting edge KRONOS MMR™ Energy System micro nuclear reactor.
As part of this initiative, NANO Nuclear has engaged AECOM, the trusted global infrastructure leader, under a master services agreement to support site-specific engineering, environmental analysis and regulatory planning at UIUC. The agreement lays the groundwork for site-specific engineering in preparation for deploying the first KRONOS MMR at UIUC, a globally recognized hub for nuclear research and innovation. Planned activities include detailed environmental reviews, regulatory pathway planning, and site drilling to obtain the geological data required for submitting a construction permit application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
Figure 1 - NANO Nuclear Energy Engages AECOM, the global infrastructure leader, to support the planned activities of detailed environmental reviews, regulatory pathway planning, and site drilling to obtain the geological data required for submitting a construction permit application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).
"This milestone marks a pivotal step in NANO Nuclear's development roadmap for the KRONOS MMR, our most advanced microreactor design," said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer of NANO Nuclear. "Our work at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign demonstrates our commitment to turning next-generation nuclear technology into real-world energy solutions. Building and operating one of the first licensed microreactors on a U.S. university campus places NANO Nuclear at the forefront of the microreactor industry."
Initial work at the UIUC site includes:
- Technical feasibility studies
- Site assessment and environmental analysis
- Permitting and licensing support
- Regulatory interface coordination
The project represents a critical step in NANO Nuclear's mission to deploy safe, fully modular, and zero-emission microreactor systems across remote, commercial, and defense sectors. A successful installation and operation at UIUC in the future would provide an unprecedented real-world demonstration of the KRONOS MMR™ microreactor platform and serve as a model for future university, government, and commercial deployments nationwide. UIUC is already a national leader in nuclear engineering and hosts one of the most advanced research programs in the country. Siting a licensed microreactor on campus would not only provide cutting-edge research and training opportunities but also position UIUC as a national demonstration site for clean, resilient energy.
"We are proud to support this initiative with NANO Nuclear," said Barry Baker, Vice President and Regional Practice Lead for Environmental Planning and Permitting at AECOM. "This project represents a diversification of the energy portfolio, supporting a future of clean, distributed energy, and AECOM is ready to leverage its global engineering, environmental, and regulatory expertise to help realize the project's vision."
"Our progress at UIUC is a critical signal to the market: we're not just designing next-gen reactors, we're moving forward efficiently with building them, testing them, and preparing for regulatory licensing and real-world deployment," said Jay Yu, Founder and Executive Chairman of NANO Nuclear. Once we receive the construction permit for the KRONOS MMR, we believe we will be firmly in the lead within the United States microreactor race, and we believe this agreement is a key inflection point in our journey."
NANO Nuclear's work affirms its growing influence in the nuclear technology space and strengthens investor confidence in its ability to execute on its high-impact plans. As the global energy transition towards nuclear accelerates, NANO Nuclear is positioned to provide deployable, high-efficiency microreactor systems that serve both industrial demand and humanitarian needs.
About NANO Nuclear Energy, Inc.
NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:NNE) is an advanced technology-driven nuclear energy company seeking to become a commercially focused, diversified, and vertically integrated company across five business lines: (i) cutting edge portable and other microreactor technologies, (ii) nuclear fuel fabrication, (iii) nuclear fuel transportation, (iv) nuclear applications for space and (v) nuclear industry consulting services. NANO Nuclear believes it is the first portable nuclear microreactor company to be listed publicly in the U.S.
Led by a world-class nuclear engineering team, NANO Nuclear's reactor products in development include patented KRONOS MMR™ Energy System, a stationary high-temperature gas-cooled reactor that is in construction permit pre-application engagement U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in collaboration with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U. of I.), "ZEUS", a solid core battery reactor, and "ODIN", a low-pressure coolant reactor, and the space focused, portable LOKI MMR™, each representing advanced developments in clean energy solutions that are portable, on-demand capable, advanced nuclear microreactors.
Advanced Fuel Transportation Inc. (AFT), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is led by former executives from the largest transportation company in the world aiming to build a North American transportation company that will provide commercial quantities of HALEU fuel to small modular reactors, microreactor companies, national laboratories, military, and DOE programs. Through NANO Nuclear, AFT is the exclusive licensee of a patented high-capacity HALEU fuel transportation basket developed by three major U.S. national nuclear laboratories and funded by the Department of Energy. Assuming development and commercialization, AFT is expected to form part of the only vertically integrated nuclear fuel business of its kind in North America.
HALEU Energy Fuel Inc. (HEF), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is focusing on the future development of a domestic source for a High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel fabrication pipeline for NANO Nuclear's own microreactors as well as the broader advanced nuclear reactor industry.
NANO Nuclear Space Inc. (NNS), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is exploring the potential commercial applications of NANO Nuclear's developing micronuclear reactor technology in space. NNS is focusing on applications such as the LOKI MMR™ system and other power systems for extraterrestrial projects and human sustaining environments, and potentially propulsion technology for long haul space missions. NNS' initial focus will be on cis-lunar applications, referring to uses in the space region extending from Earth to the area surrounding the Moon's surface.
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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This news release and statements of NANO Nuclear's management in connection with this news release contain or may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "potential", "will", "should", "could", "would" or "may" and other words of similar meaning. In this press release, forward-looking statements include those regarding the anticipated benefits of the Company's agreement with AECOM and also the Company's future plans generally. These and other forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management's current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For NANO Nuclear, particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following: (i) risks related to our U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") or related state or non-U.S. nuclear fuel licensing submissions, (ii) risks related the development of new or advanced technology and the acquisition of complimentary technology or businesses, including difficulties with design and testing, cost overruns, regulatory delays, integration issues and the development of competitive technology, (iii) our ability to obtain contracts and funding to be able to continue operations, (iv) risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to technologically develop and commercially deploy a competitive advanced nuclear reactor or other technology in the timelines we anticipate, if ever, (v) risks related to the impact of U.S. and non-U.S. government regulation, policies and licensing requirements, including by the DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, including those associated with the enacted ADVANCE Act and the May 23, 2025 presidential executive orders seeking to support nuclear energy, and (vi) similar risks and uncertainties associated with the operating an early stage business a highly regulated and rapidly evolving industry. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement, and NANO Nuclear therefore encourages investors to review other factors that may affect future results in its filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov and at https://ir.nanonuclearenergy.com/financial-information/sec-filings. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.
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