TLDR
- NANO Nuclear Energy ($NNE) stock surged 9.37% to $42.49 at close and 5.44% pre-market to $44.80.
- The company began drilling for its first KRONOS MMR Energy System at the University of Illinois.
- The project marks a major milestone toward commercial deployment of the microreactor.
- AECOM led site characterization and geotechnical activities for the prototype.
- NANO Nuclear plans to submit a construction permit application by early 2026.
NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) stock climbed 9.37% to $42.49 at market close on October 23, 2025, and gained another 5.44% pre-market to $44.80.
Nano Nuclear Energy Inc, NNE
The sharp rise follows the company’s milestone event marking the start of drilling work for its first KRONOS MMR™ Energy System prototype at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Investors responded positively to the development, viewing it as a key inflection point in NANO Nuclear’s commercialization roadmap for microreactor technology.
A Milestone Ceremony for Clean Energy Innovation
The ceremony, held on October 24, 2025, celebrated the beginning of drilling operations for the KRONOS MMR prototype, a compact, high-temperature gas-cooled microreactor designed to produce 15 MWe of clean power.
NANO Nuclear collaborated with AECOM, a global infrastructure leader, to perform site characterization and geotechnical analysis. This foundational work paves the way for the construction, installation, and eventual operation of the microreactor on the Urbana-Champaign campus.
Speakers at the event included Founder and President Jay Yu, CEO James Walker, and CTO Florent Heidet, Ph.D., who highlighted the project’s technological progress and strategic significance. Retired military leaders General Wesley K. Clark and Vice Admiral Charles J. Leidig Jr. also spoke about the potential for microreactor adoption in defense and microgrid applications.
About the KRONOS MMR Energy System
The KRONOS MMR is engineered for high reliability and passive safety. It uses meltdown-resistant TRISO fuel and helium-based cooling, ensuring automatic shutdown without human intervention.
NANO Nuclear describes the system as ideal for data centers, industrial projects, military operations, and remote communities, where reliable, portable clean energy is crucial. The company aims for multi-decade reactor lifespans, emphasizing low maintenance and flexible deployment.
Next Steps in the Project
Using geotechnical data collected by AECOM, NANO Nuclear plans to submit a construction permit application for the KRONOS MMR in early 2026.
Engineering partners Hatch and PCL are also supporting the project’s design and construction phases. Once operational, the University of Illinois installation will act as a demonstration model for future commercial, academic, and government collaborations across North America and beyond.
Expanding Business Horizons
NANO Nuclear operates across five business divisions — microreactor development, nuclear fuel fabrication, nuclear fuel transportation, space nuclear applications, and industry consulting services.
The start of drilling work at Illinois signals tangible progress toward deploying scalable, next-generation nuclear technology. With investor optimism driving NNE shares higher, the KRONOS MMR project positions the company at the forefront of clean microreactor innovation.
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