Terra Innovatum Targets 2027 Illinois Debut for SOLO Microreactor

Terra Innovatum is targeting late 2027 for the first deployment of its 1-megawatt SOLO microreactor in Illinois, with commercial operations expected in 2028, pending NRC licensing.

The helium-cooled reactor is designed to use commercially available LEU fuel, passive heat removal and a compact footprint; the company claims it could operate without an exclusion zone and achieve an estimated $0.07 levelized energy cost.

Terra Innovatum reports more than 200 reactors and roughly $4 billion in pre-commercial commitments , while holding about $96 million in cash and expecting approximately $70 million in funding needs through the first unit.

Terra Innovatum Global S.R.L. NASDAQ: NKLR said it is advancing licensing and construction preparations for its SOLO nuclear microreactor, with the company targeting a first-of-a-kind deployment in Illinois by late 2027 and commercial operations in 2028.

Speaking at Canaccord Genuity’s 46th Annual Growth Conference, Chief Strategy Officer Massimo Morichi said the company began its licensing process with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in January 2025. He said the reactor’s design work is complete and that Terra Innovatum is now focused on licensing, supply-chain execution and commercial deployment.

Morichi described SOLO as a micromodular reactor designed to produce 1 megawatt of electricity and 4 megawatts of thermal energy. The unit is designed to fit within a 10-meter-by-10-meter-by-10-meter concrete structure.

Terra Innovatum estimates a levelized cost of energy of $0.07 over 45 years of operation, assuming 97% uptime.

The company’s reactor uses helium in its primary cooling circuit rather than water. Morichi said this approach is intended to enable passive heat removal and avoid issues associated with water-based systems, including corrosion, fuel-assembly fretting and hydrogen-related explosion risks.

“Our reactor by physics, does not need really water,” Morichi said, adding that the reactor’s heat extraction requirement after shutdown is relatively low because of its 1-megawatt electrical output.

Morichi also said the reactor is designed to operate without an exclusion zone, claiming that radiation exposure near the concrete containment structure would remain below 1 millisievert annually. The company believes this could allow multiple units to be installed close together in modular configurations.

Terra Innovatum is designing SOLO to use low-enriched uranium, or LEU, rather than high-assay low-enriched uranium, or HALEU. Morichi said LEU is already commercially available and used in light-water reactors globally, while HALEU production capacity still needs to expand.

The use of LEU is also intended to support international deployment, according to Morichi, who said the fuel is non-proliferative compared with higher-enriched alternatives. The company said its reactor could also use HALEU in the future, potentially extending fuel duration.

Morichi said Terra Innovatum has secured suppliers for the first-of-a-kind project by designing the reactor around commercially available, qualified components. The company plans to assemble factory-built components at a contract manufacturing location.

Supply-chain lead times for the first unit are generally below eight months, according to Morichi. Terra Innovatum expects lead times could fall to about six months during regular production.

The company has ordered a turbine from Baker Hughes and is working with the company on potential scale-up configurations. Morichi said the company is also investing in production capabilities, including machining tools for graphite components use...