NRC receives application for first-of-its-kind on campus microreactor

Regulator begins review of the construction permit application 

Caleb Brooks, Illinois Grainger Engineering professor of nuclear, plasma, and radiological engineering, said that the process of building a nuclear reactor involves “years of engagement with the nuclear regulator to demonstrate the safety and performance of the technology, communicate how it will be used, and provide the extensive technical documentation required for regulatory review.”

In the case of the research micro nuclear reactor on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Brooks notes that “a big milestone” has been made by Grainger Engineering researchers and partners at NANO Nuclear Energy Inc.

On June 23, 2026, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) publicly announced that it had met with representatives from the University of Illinois and NANO Nuclear to mark the start of its review of the Construction Permit Application (CPA) for deployment of NANO Nuclear's KRONOS MMR™ Energy System.

"This is a welcome step in regulatory and licensing activities with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, keeping the Microreactor Demonstration Project on the path to licensing with a focus on health and safety,” said  Rashid Bashir, dean of The Grainger College of Engineering. “The research and hands-on education conducted in this exciting, first-of-its-kind on-campus microreactor project will accelerate the development of advanced reactor technology, train the future nuclear workforce, and enhance public confidence in next-generation reactor technology.”

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said, "Illinois is paving the way for the future of clean energy, and the NRC's decision to begin its review marks another major step forward in our nation-leading efforts. Through the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (CRGA), and Executive Order 2026-01, we've strengthened our electric grid, expanded energy storage, lowered long-term energy costs, and positioned Illinois as the premier destination for next-generation nuclear innovation. Combined with our world-class research institutions and highly skilled workforce, we're attracting investments and creating high-quality jobs while efficiently meeting the growing demand for electricity. I look forward to the NRC's ongoing review process as we continue to build a stronger energy future for Illinois students, families and businesses." 

The application consists of hundreds of pages, including a safety analysis report that Brooks said lays out the technology's safety basis and an environmental report describing the impact of the project on the environment.

The latter, he explained, documents “all of the environmental-related aspects, anything you can imagine, noise, traffic, literally everything about the site, about the surrounding area, wind patterns, precipitation, drainage, soil compositions, earthquakes, and tornadoes.”

Brooks said that the research reactor on campus presents challenges to the proposal process that are “quite easy in some ways and unique in others. It's easy in some ways, in that it’s on an industrial side of our campus. Abbott Power Plant is right there; there are chilling facilities and cooling towers, and the site is well characterized. There aren't any endangered species or rare vegetation that would need to be protected. It's basically a parking lot. That's helpful. But most nuclear projects happen out in the middle of nowhere, so we had to provide much more detail on distances to population centers, and the report has to document all instances of radioactivity in the area. There are a lot of additional things that need to be documented.”

 “We've done research reactors on university campuses for a long time,” Brooks said. “We safely operated one in the heart of our campus.” From 1960 to 1998, the university operated TRIGA, officially known as the University of Illinois Advanced Teaching Research Isotope General Atomic (TRIGA Mark II). 

The microreactor project offers students the opportunity to observe the licensing process. Brooks said, “We've certainly had opportunities to bring students along this process and this project. We've had lots of undergrad and grad students who have worked on the project, and in our monthly open-to-the-public meetings, we share updates about various aspects.”

The NRC's anticipated review schedule indicates that the environmental assessment is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2027 and the safety evaluation in early Fall of 2027. NANO Nuclear believes that the NRC review process could be completed in 2027, providing an opportunity for initial construction activities on the U. of I. campus to commence in the second half of 2027, subject to regulatory approvals and other project planning requirements.

With a construction permit application in hand, the NRC has begun reviewing and assembling questions for NANO Nuclear and Grainger Engineering. Reviewing the submitted Environmental Report, NRC will create a separate document required for the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) review that follows.

Successful completion of the construction permit application review allows the project to begin construction of the reactor system on the campus site. Once the construction permit application is approved,  an operating license application can be submitted.

"The operating license application is where everything must be final," said Brooks.  "It must be the exact specifications, procedures, details, and analyses for the system's safety case, including how it will operate safely and prevent adverse effects on the environment or public."  When the review process is finished, fuel can be brought to the site, and the reactor can be brought to a powered state. Brooks estimated that, if all goes well, the microreactor could be online by late 2029 to early 2030.

“It is exciting to enter the next phase of the regulatory process as Illinois leads the exploration of next-generation solutions to energy production,” said Illinois Chancellor Charles L. Isbell, Jr. “This project leverages the profound expertise of Illinois faculty while supporting the education of future engineers and scientists who will shape a more sustainable future.”

Grainger Engineering Affiliations

Rashid Bashir is an Illinois Grainger Engineering professor of bioengineering, dean of  The Grainger College of Engineering, and vice chancellor of Chicago Strategic Partnership. Rashid Bashir holds the Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering. 

Timothy P. Grunloh is an Illinois Grainger College of Engineering principal research scientist in nuclear, plasma & radiological engineering.

Charles L. Isbell, Jr. is chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Grainger Engineering professor of computer science.

Caleb Brooks is an Illinois Grainger Engineering professor of nuclear, plasma & radiological engineering and is director of  Illinois Nuclear Power Institute. Caleb Brooks is a Donald Biggar Willett Faculty Scholar.