Figure 1 – NANO Nuclear Energy Inc (NASDAQ: NNE) Appoints Eric R. Oesterle as its Head of Microreactor Regulatory Licensing.

Mr. Oesterle joins an expanding in-house team of nuclear regulatory and licensing experts at NANO Nuclear following last month’s appointment of David Tiktinsky, a nearly 40-year veteran of the NRC, as NANO Nuclear’s Head of Nuclear Regulatory Licensing. Mr. Tiktinsky brings extensive overall knowledge of nuclear regulatory licensing and will focus on the licensing requirements for the nuclear fuel fabrication and fuel transportation aspects of NANO Nuclear’s business plans. Working in parallel with Mr. Tiktinsky, Mr. Oesterle is expected to focus his efforts primarily on the regulatory licensing process for ‘ZEUS’ and ‘ODIN’, NANO Nuclear’s next generation microreactors in development.

“I’m delighted to join the NANO Nuclear team and begin leading the regulatory engagement and licensing processes for the very promising ‘ZEUS’ and ‘ODIN’ microreactors,” said Eric R. Oesterle, Head of Microreactor Regulatory Licensing of NANO Nuclear Energy. “The technical teams behind NANO Nuclear’s innovative designs are exemplary, and I am eager to collaborate with them to ensure their technologies navigate the regulatory pathway towards commercialization with minimal resistance and in a timely manner.  The U.S. government has demonstrated its commitment to supporting innovation within the nuclear energy industry, with legislation such as the recently enacted ADVANCE Act reshaping how nuclear technologies are evaluated in the United States.  It is at this exciting juncture that I join NANO Nuclear, and I could not be more eager to begin.”

Mr. Oesterle has been involved with well-known advanced nuclear technology companies in the application of the NRC’s risk-informed, performance-based, technology-inclusive and advanced non-light water reactor application guidance as well as industry guidance in Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) document NEI 18-04 for developing the licensing and safety cases for these applications while also providing critical input to NEI efforts to advance proposals for more efficient and effective licensing of microreactors.

“Eric is one of the foremost experts in the field of advanced nuclear reactor licensing,” said Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear. “Since our inception, we have understood that successfully navigating the complex nuclear regulatory landscape for our reactor designs would be challenging and would require us to recruit leaders with extensive experience and connections in the licensing community. As such, we are thrilled to welcome Eric to our expanding team. As a prominent and highly experienced leader in this field, we are confident that Eric will play a crucial role in ensuring our regulatory strategy is meticulously aligned with our commercialization goals.”

The NRC has established numerous guidelines for estimated licensing timelines covering a wide range of nuclear technologies and fuels. As a microreactor developer, approval of NANO Nuclear’s advanced portable microreactor designs will most likely fall under the Part 52 regulations, which currently stipulate an estimated licensing timeline of 36 months. However, the ADVANCE Act introduces several measures designed to streamline and enhance regulatory pathways for advanced nuclear technologies, including microreactors, aiming to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the licensing process. These measures include requiring the NRC to develop a pathway for the timely licensing of microreactors and nuclear facilities at brownfields and retired fossil-fuel energy generation sites and directing the NRC to establish an accelerated licensing review process for siting and constructing reactors at existing nuclear sites.

“The regulatory and licensing aspect of nuclear energy is an extensively labor intensive and complicated effort, so we are fortunate to have been able to recruit one of the leading experts in the field to help us on our regulatory pathway and ultimately to commercialization,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer, and Head of Reactor Development of NANO Nuclear Energy. “Eric will play an enormously important role for NANO Nuclear, and we are very pleased with the foundational efforts that now enable us to approach the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and commence work in earnest to license our reactors.  I am confident that Eric’s extensive experience with the NRC will be invaluable to our efforts, helping to ensure that we achieve reactor licensing within a timeframe that aligns with our roadmap and that of the NRC itself.”