NANO Nuclear Energy and Curio Partner on Nuclear Fuel Recycling for Portable Nuclear Microreactors
July 9, 2024
NANO Nuclear Energy, a nuclear energy and technology company developing portable clean nuclear energy solutions, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate with Curio Solutions to improve Curio’s nuclear fuel recycling capabilities for NANO Nuclear’s next-generation portable nuclear microreactors, which is currently in development.
Through this MoU, NANO Nuclear aims to explore and assemble complementary advanced technologies to help develop its ZEUS and ODIN microreactors.
“We are very proud to be a part of the accelerating momentum in the global nuclear energy renaissance,” said Jay Yu, Executive Chairman and President of NANO Nuclear Energy. “The opportunity to utilize Curio’s expertise in nuclear fuel recycling and optimize our reactors to be cleaner, more efficient, and safer is a significant boon to NANO Nuclear. This collaboration also further demonstrates our ability to identify and seek to incorporate other innovative technologies into our microreactor technologies.”
NANO Nuclear’s ZEUS advanced portable microreactor is designed to generate between 1 and 2 MW of clean electricity without depending on fluid coolant, thereby improving safety and reliability. Additionally, ODIN - a clean energy, portable nuclear microreactor - will significantly benefit from NANO Nuclear's recent acquisition of annular linear induction pump (ALIP) technology, which will enhance its passive decay heat removal capabilities using natural circulation.
"Our collaboration with Nano Nuclear exemplifies our commitment to working across the entire spectrum of the nuclear industry,” said Edward McGinnis, CEO of Curio. “NANO Nuclear's innovative approach to reactor design aligns perfectly with our vision for a sustainable nuclear future. We are excited to work with NANO Nuclear on creating tomorrow's nuclear energy solutions."
Curio Solutions’ NuCycle process, which has received funding from the US government, offers a recycling opportunity utilizing chemistries that increase operational modularity, capacity, and economic viability to reduce nuclear waste.
The companies will partner for one year to enhance NANO Nuclear’s fuel designs for improved recyclability and implement specialized recycling methods utilizing the NuCycle process. The partnership will also look for opportunities to integrate recycled fuel into NANO Nuclear’s advanced microreactor designs.
The MOU is preliminary, and the companies are expected to enter into more formal definitive documentation if the collaboration evolves as expected.
