US advanced nuclear reactor developer Nano Nuclear Energy announced on 2 April that a construction permit application (CPA) has been submitted to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its Kronos MMR microreactor.

The CPA was formally submitted by The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Nano Nuclear’s partner for the planned Kronos MMR plant at the university.

Nano Nuclear said the submission means it has become the first commercially-ready microreactor developer and the third commercially-ready Generation IV advanced reactor developer to submit a CPA, placing it among a small group of advanced nuclear companies progressing toward commercial deployment.

“The CPA submission represents the achievement of a critical milestone for the Kronos MMR on the pathway from engineering design, to construction on the campus of UIUC, to reactor licensing, to ultimate commercial deployment,” a statement said.