Friday, 4 July 2025
Italy-based micro-modular reactor developer Terra Innovatum Srl is teaming up with US engineering consultancy TechSource Inc to accelerate commercialisation of its SOLO microreactor in the USA.
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Through a memorandum of understanding signed between the two companies, TechSource will accelerate the introduction of Terra Innovatum’s SOLO micro-modular reactor through supply chain and regulatory advisory support, while expanding access to potential strategic investors, customers and US agency funding programmes, including deployment pathways at the US Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Defense (DOD).
Under the terms of the agreement, Terra Innovatum and TechSource will work collaboratively on identifying and securing optimal sites for reactor assembly and deployment, optimise supply chain management, support Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) compliance, and engage with key stakeholders – including the DOE, DOD, international laboratories, industry leaders, and institutional end users. The collaboration also paves the way for potential co-investments in operational hubs, advanced manufacturing infrastructure, and strategic R&D partnerships.
“This collaboration represents a pivotal milestone in advancing our SOLO MMR technology toward full-scale commercialisation,” said Terra Innovatum co-founder and CEO Alessandro Petruzzi. “TechSource’s deep network across US governmental agencies, expertise in nuclear material management and US regulatory knowledge will support our regulatory and commercial progress, while bolstering our federal funding and customer acquisition opportunities.
“Together, we plan to strengthen our connection with industry leaders and national laboratories in the US to build a foundation for the widespread deployment of safe, modular nuclear power. Together, we are fast-tracking SOLO’s impact on a cleaner, more resilient global energy future.”
TechSource Chairman and CEO Brian D’Andrea added: “With decades of experience supporting the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, national laboratories, and public-sector institutions, we are uniquely positioned to help accelerate the commercialisation and deployment of the SOLO micro-modular reactor.”
Terra Innovatum is developing its SOLO micro modular reactor design, intended to form the basis for a scalable modular energy platform from MWe to GWe-class. A SOLO unit is designed to deliver approximately 1 MWe. The design features a solid heterogeneous composite moderator and is intended to accommodate both traditional zircaloy-clad low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel or, when available, LEU+ and high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuels. Heat removal is accomplished by helium gas which eliminates the need for water from the reactor coolant system. The reactor is intended to feature autonomous operation, on-line safeguards-by-design, and a defence-in-depth structure of radiological barriers with the intent to minimise or eliminate emergency planning zone requirements beyond the operational boundary.
The NRC is currently engaged in pre-application activities with Terra Innovatum.
Terra Innovatum says it anticipates that SOLO will be available globally within the next three years and will offer “a wide range of versatile applications, providing CO2-free, behind-the-meter, and off-grid power solutions for data centres, mini-grids serving remote towns and villages, and large-scale industrial operations in hard-to-abate sectors”. It also has the ability to supply heat for industrial applications and other specialised processes, including water treatment, desalination and co-generation.
