NANO Nuclear To Begin Drilling for KRONOS Microreactor At University of Illinois

Amid a broader shift to advanced nuclear energy which we have been documenting for the past 18 months, NANO Nuclear Energy announced a major step in developing its KRONOS micro modular reactor (MMR), confirming that geotechnical drilling and site characterization with its development partner, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, will begin on October 24, 2025.

At a time when electricity bills are exploding across the country to feed ravenous AI data centers using conventional sources of electricity which are woefully insufficient to power the chatbot revolution, new technologies are coming online to power the grid at a much lower cost.

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Developed to meet the demand for “resilient, modular, and clean energy solutions for artificial intelligence and data centers, industrial projects, military applications, remote communities, and other commercial applications” Nano Nuclear, KRONOS MMR is a stationary, high-temperature gas-cooled microreactor designed to deliver 15 MWe (45 MWth) of carbon-free power, for multi-decade use across multiple industries and environments. More importantly, it allows its power to feed a unique, discreet target, keeping overall generation costs low. 

More importantly, multiple KRONOS MMRs can be synergistically used to achieve any desired power level. Using meltdown-resistant TRISO fuel and passive helium cooling, the KRONOS MMR is being designed to shut down and remain in a safe state automatically without any human intervention or external power (so called “walk-away safety”) while seeking to ensure the ability to disconnect from the main grid and operate autonomously during outages or other disruptions (so called “full island-mode microgrid” capability).

Next week’s launch event, hosted at The Grainger College of Engineering, marks the first physical phase of construction and is a key milestone toward securing an NRC construction permit in early 2026. 

Executives Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman, James Walker, CEO, and Dr. Florent Heidet, CTO, will join university and government leaders at the ceremony next Friday. Global engineering firm AECOM will conduct the site work to inform reactor design and regulatory submissions.

The October 24th event is set to highlight site characterization and drilling activities performed by global infrastructure leader AECOM and serve as an essential milestone ahead of NANO Nuclear’s planned submission of a construction permit application in or around Q1 2026.

James Walker said, “This event represents an important milestone for NANO Nuclear, underscoring our expanding role in the nuclear technology sector and reinforcing confidence in our capacity to deliver on ambitious initiatives.” Dr. Heidet added that the Illinois hub will “anchor the company’s reactor development and accelerate progress toward commercial deployment.”

Project lead Professor Caleb Brooks noted that site data “will support the construction permit application as it undergoes rigorous safety and environmental impact review by the NRC.”

NANO Nuclear also announced plans to establish a manufacturing and R&D facility in Illinois, investing over $12 million with support from the REV Illinois program, which includes $6.8 million in incentives and will create 50 new full-time jobs.

“I’m proud to welcome NANO Nuclear to Illinois’ growing clean energy economy,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “With support from REV Illinois, this critical investment from NANO Nuclear will create new jobs for hardworking Illinoisans and promote innovative strides in clean energy solutions.”

NANO Nuclear’s new 23,500-square-foot facility in the Chicagoland area will support collaboration with the University of Illinois on the KRONOS MMR system. “This new hub will play a central role in our work to construct, demonstrate, and ultimately commercialize our KRONOS MMR Energy System,” said Walker.

Dr. Heidet added, “With the strong presence of nuclear utilities and R&D institutions in Illinois, this is the ideal ecosystem for us to thrive.” Dean Rashid Bashir emphasized that the partnership “reinforces our leadership in this critical sector.”

Chairman Jay Yu said the commencement of fieldwork “is an enormous step toward the construction of our high technology readiness level and patented KRONOS MMR, advancing our progress and bringing us closer to deploying this pivotal technology.”