NANO Nuclear Energy, (“NANO Nuclear” or the “Company”), a leading advanced nuclear energy and technology company focused on developing clean energy solutions, announced it has been awarded a Direct to Phase II (D2P2) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by AFWERX to explore the feasibility of deploying its advanced KRONOS MMR Energy System at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB) in Washington, D.C.
AFWERX is the innovation and venture arm of the U.S. Air Force, and this project will be undertaken in collaboration with the 11th Civil Engineering Squadron.
The approximate $1.25 million contract will examine JBAB’s current and future energy demands, grid vulnerabilities, siting options, environmental considerations, and regulatory pathways for introducing a first-of-its-kind nuclear microreactor to a dense urban military installation. The effort directly addresses the Air Force’s priority to enhance energy resilience, reduce reliance on fragile or aging commercial grids, and enable secure, carbon-free baseload power.
The KRONOS MMR is a stationary, high-temperature gas-cooled microreactor designed to deliver 15 MWe (45 MWth) of carbon-free power, for multi-decade use across multiple industries and environments. Multiple KRONOS MMRs can be synergistically used to achieve any desired power level. Using meltdown-resistant TRISO fuel and passive helium cooling, the KRONOS MMR 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). The system eliminates dependence on fuel convoys, is being designed to withstand cyber and physical threats, and enable continuous mission-critical operations.
“Winning this D2P2 with AFWERX marks another milestone for NANO Nuclear and a validation of our belief that KRONOS MMR Energy System as a leading microreactor program,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer of NANO Nuclear Energy. “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.”
“This AFWERX award highlights the growing demand for next-generation nuclear solutions,” said Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear Energy. “Our KRONOS MMR is designed to protect critical missions in the most demanding environments, and this contract underscores NANO Nuclear’s emerging status as the leader in bringing microreactors to the defense ecosystem. We look forward to beginning work on this project at JBAB and thank the Air Force for the opportunity to do so.”
NANO Nuclear is directly supported on this effort by Stonegardens Advisory LLC, a premier defense business development and strategy firm headquartered in New York City. Stonegardens, recognized for its role in guiding cutting-edge technologies into the defense ecosystem, worked alongside NANO Nuclear to position the KRONOS MMR reactor for this contract win within the Department of the Air Force’s innovation pipeline.
