Chicago Construction News staff writer
NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. said Tuesday that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has accepted its construction permit application for the company’s KRONOS MMR™ micro modular reactor planned for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, marking a key step in the federal licensing process.
The application, submitted March 31, 2026, by the university in partnership with the company, was deemed complete enough for the NRC to begin its formal safety, environmental and technical review. Acceptance of the filing does not indicate approval, but it allows regulators to begin evaluating the proposed project in detail.
The KRONOS MMR is one of a small group of advanced Generation IV reactor designs progressing through U.S. regulatory channels and is positioned by the company as a candidate for early commercial deployment.
NANO Nuclear said it expects the NRC review process to conclude in 2027, which could allow construction activities to begin in the second half of that year, pending approval.
“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 Florent Heidet, the company’s chief technical officer. He said the milestone reflects years of engineering work and regulatory preparation as the project moves closer to potential deployment.
Company founder and Chairman Jay Yu said the acceptance supports NANO Nuclear’s strategy of advancing scalable advanced nuclear technologies through early regulatory engagement and partnerships. He said the company is also advancing supply chain planning, procurement discussions and a non-nuclear demonstration unit in Oak Brook, Illinois.
Caleb Brooks, a professor in nuclear engineering at the university’s Grainger College of Engineering, said the project could help position the campus as a leader in advanced energy innovation and workforce development.
“The NRC’s acceptance of our construction permit application marks a significant step forward for the Illinois Microreactor Demonstration Project and for the future of advanced nuclear energy in the United States,” Brooks said.
If approved, the project would represent one of the first university-based micro modular reactor deployments in the United States.
