The company will participate in the industrial development of the KRONOS MMR™. Its expertise will play a key role in the engineering and design-for-manufacturing of the reactor pressure vessel, with a view toward future production.
IMPSA and NANO Nuclear Energy, a U.S.-based company specializing in advanced nuclear technologies, have signed strategic agreements to collaborate on the industrial development of the KRONOS MMR™, a next-generation nuclear microreactor.
The agreement establishes a three-year cooperation framework. During the first six months, IMPSA will conduct an independent review of the design and manufacturability of KRONOS MMR™ components in accordance with the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III.
“This alliance represents a strategic opportunity for IMPSA and for the Argentine nuclear industry,” said Jorge Salcedo, President of IMPSA. “With decades of experience manufacturing pressure vessels under ASME N-Stamp certification, IMPSA has established itself as one of the few suppliers capable of assessing the manufacturability of nuclear components at an early stage. This will enable NANO Nuclear Energy to accelerate the KRONOS MMR™ manufacturing process, advancing toward safer and more efficient nuclear systems.”
One of the key components during this initial phase will be the reactor pressure vessel, a critical part of the KRONOS MMR™. Throughout this process, IMPSA will leverage more than four decades of experience in the engineering and manufacturing of highly complex nuclear components.
Regarding Argentina’s experience in the sector, Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear Energy, said: “Argentina has developed advanced nuclear engineering and manufacturing capabilities over several decades, and we see an opportunity to connect that experience with our next generation of nuclear projects.”
“Our goal is to build NANO around the capabilities required to bring nuclear technology to market: reactor engineering, manufacturing, fuel, transportation and project execution. Our relationship with IMPSA has the potential to strengthen several of these areas simultaneously, while establishing an important industrial relationship between the United States and Argentina,” Yu added.
During this phase, IMPSA will work to identify manufacturing, inspection and accessibility requirements, supply-chain risks and potential design improvements before moving toward the future production of components.
James Walker, CEO of NANO Nuclear Energy, added: “Advanced reactors must move from drawings and calculations to components that can be manufactured, inspected, qualified and assembled consistently. Throughout this process, IMPSA brings more than four decades of nuclear engineering and manufacturing experience, as well as particularly valuable expertise in pressure vessels and manufacturing under ASME Section III standards.”
“Incorporating that expertise into the development of KRONOS will enable us to identify challenges at an early stage, strengthen the design for manufacturing and move more directly toward the future production of components,” Walker concluded.