Nano Nuclear wins Air Force contract for Kronos MMR

New York City–based advanced nuclear technology developer Nano Nuclear Energy has been awarded a Direct-to-Phase II Small Business Innovation Research contract for its Kronos micro modular reactor (MMR) by AFWERX, the innovation and venture arm of the U.S. Air Force. The contract calls for AFWERX, with the 11th Civil Engineering Squadron, to explore the feasibility of deploying the Kronos MMR Energy System at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB) in Washington, D.C.

The contract with Nano Nuclear aligns with the air force’s goals of enhancing energy resilience; reducing reliance on aging commercial grids; and enabling secure, carbon-free baseload power. Under terms of the contract, which has an estimated value of $1.25 million, experts will evaluate JBAB’s current and future energy needs, grid vulnerabilities, siting options, environmental considerations, and regulatory pathways for deploying the microreactor at the dense urban military installation.

Kronos features: The Kronos MMR is a stationary, high-temperature gas-cooled microreactor capable of generating as much as 15 MWe (45 MWt) of power for long-term use by data/AI centers and other co-located industrial or chemical operations, as well as population centers. It is designed as a mass-produced modular system that can be transported by road and assembled on-site, with multiple units being synergistically deployed to achieve any desired power level.

The microreactor has several advanced safety features, including the use of meltdown-resistant TRISO fuel, passive helium cooling, and safeguards against cyber and physical threats. Nano Nuclear explained that Kronos “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).”

Demonstrations and licensing: Nano Nuclear has been collaborating with the University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign to demonstrate Kronos’s readiness level at the university. The company is providing critical engineering and environmental services for construction and deployment activities on campus. Parallel demonstrations are also planned with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, at its Chalk River, Ontario, site.

The company is pursuing licensing processes for the microreactor with both the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

Another milestone: Nano Nuclear CEO James Walker commented on the AFWERX contract, noting that it “marks another milestone for Nano Nuclear and a validation of our belief that Kronos MMR Energy System as a leading microreactor program.”

He continued, “The Kronos MMR represents a transformative potential for energy assurance for the Department of the Air Force, combining a design for resilience, safety, and carbon-free generation in one modular microreactor platform.”