By World Nuclear News
US microreactor technology company NANO Nuclear Energy Inc has signed a strategic collaboration agreement with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to construct the first research KRONOS micro modular reactor on the university’s campus.
The agreement formally establishes the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 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.
The university plans to re-power partially its coal-fired Abbott power station with the KRONOS MMR, providing a zero-carbon demonstration of district heat and power to campus buildings as part of its green campus initiative. The project team aims to demonstrate how microreactor systems integrate with existing fossil fuel infrastructure to accelerate the decarbonisation of existing power-generation facilities.
Related: Westinghouse scouting sites to build micro nuclear reactors
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). The company said 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).
As part of the agreement, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will lead the regulatory engagement with the NRC as well as public engagement, support licensing activities including the PSAR and ER, and play a key role in site layout, constructability assessment, and future operator training programmes. NANO Nuclear will oversee plant design, construction, system integration, and commercial pathway development.
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