![[ultra-safe-nuclear-logo.png|300]] Company website: https://usnc.com/ ### Introduction Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) was a U.S.-based nuclear technology company specializing in advanced microreactors and fuel for clean energy applications. Founded in 2011 by Dr. Francesco Venneri, a former Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist with expertise in nuclear propulsion and reactor design, alongside other nuclear engineers, the company aimed to commercialize innovative, inherently safe nuclear systems. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with additional facilities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and operations in Canada through subsidiary USNC-Power in Ottawa, USNC's mission was to develop and deploy nuclear-based power generating equipment that is safe, commercially competitive, and simple to use, focusing on carbon-free energy for remote communities, industrial sites, data centers, and space exploration. The company's key focus areas included high-temperature gas-cooled reactors and TRISO-based fuel to enhance safety and reduce proliferation risks, with applications in electricity generation, process heat, and propulsion. However, USNC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 29, 2024, leading to the sale of its major assets in early 2025, effectively winding down operations. Information on the company is now limited and outdated due to its defunct status, with assets redistributed to other entities like Standard Nuclear and NANO Nuclear Energy. ### Key Products and Technology - **Micro Modular Reactor (MMR™)**: A high-temperature gas-cooled microreactor system, factory-fabricated and transportable; integrated one or more reactor modules with heat storage and power conversion for zero-carbon output. - **Power Output and Scalability**: Each module produced up to 15 megawatts electric (MWe) or 45 megawatts thermal (MWth), scalable to multi-unit plants for higher capacity; designed for 20-year operation without refueling. - **Fuel and Efficiency**: Utilized proprietary TRISO (tristructural isotropic) particles embedded in Fully Ceramic Micro-encapsulated (FCM™) fuel, using high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU); meltdown-proof with fission products contained in particles; high thermal efficiency at temperatures up to 750°C. - **Safety and Design Features**: Inherently safe with passive cooling via helium gas and graphite moderator; no meltdown or hydrogen explosion risks; resilient to extreme events; compact design (shipping container-sized) for rapid deployment and minimal site preparation. - **Applications**: Provided baseload power for remote mining, military bases, data centers, and communities; cogeneration of heat for hydrogen production, desalination, and industrial processes; demonstration projects planned at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (now transferred to acquirers). - **Pylon Reactor**: A compact, transportable reactor for space and terrestrial applications; similar TRISO/FCM fuel; targeted for propulsion, lunar bases, or remote power; power output in the kilowatt to megawatt range. - **TRISO/FCM Fuel**: Advanced particle fuel for various reactors; produced at a pilot facility in Oak Ridge; emphasized domestic supply chain for HALEU-based fuels. ### Team and Leadership Note: Leadership information is based on pre-bankruptcy structure; the company is defunct as of 2025, with no active executives. - **Dr. Francesco Venneri, Founder and Former CEO**: Led overall strategy and technology development; expertise in nuclear reactor design from Los Alamos National Laboratory and NASA; focused on commercializing safe nuclear innovations. - **Mark Mitchell, Former President**: Oversaw operations and commercialization; background in nuclear engineering and project management. - **Other Key Former Executives**: Included technical leaders like Dr. Michael Eades (VP of Reactor Development) for MMR design and fuel experts for TRISO production; team emphasized safety and regulatory compliance from DOE and industry backgrounds. ### Recent News and Developments (2025) | Date | Event | Details | |------|--------|---------| | June 11, 2025 | Standard Nuclear Emerges with USNC Assets | Standard Nuclear, backed by Decisive Point and Andreessen Horowitz, raised $42 million after acquiring USNC's fuel-related assets for $28 million in a February bankruptcy auction, focusing on TRISO production. | | January 13, 2025 | NANO Nuclear Completes Asset Acquisition | NANO Nuclear Energy finalized the $8.5 million purchase of USNC's MMR and Pylon technologies, including patents and demonstration projects, approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in December 2024. | ### Partnerships and Collaborations Note: Partnerships are historical, as the company is defunct; many have transferred to asset acquirers. - **Hyundai Engineering**: Former collaboration for MMR manufacturing and deployment in South Korea. - **Ontario Power Generation and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories**: Joint venture for MMR demonstration at Chalk River, Ontario (now with NANO Nuclear). - **University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign**: Partnership for MMR deployment on campus (transferred to NANO Nuclear). - **U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)**: Supported through grants for TRISO fuel development and microreactor R&D at national labs like Idaho National Laboratory. - **Urenco USA**: Joint venture for HALEU enrichment and TRISO fuel fabrication at Oak Ridge pilot plant (assets to Standard Nuclear). - **Peregrine Turbine Technologies**: Collaboration on advanced energy systems combining MMR with supercritical CO2 turbines. - **Global Nuclear Fuel**: Partnership for fuel supply chain and commercialization. ### Closing Note Following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in October 2024 amid financial challenges despite raising over $100 million in funding, Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation is defunct, with its assets sold in 2025 to Standard Nuclear ($28 million for fuel operations) and NANO Nuclear Energy ($8.5 million for reactor technologies), limiting any independent future outlook. *Report generated August 04, 2025*