Acquisition would provide NANO Nuclear with strategically valuable NRC-licensed fuel cycle assets and optionality to pursue domestic nuclear fuel cycle activities, independently or in collaboration with strategic partners
Upon completion of the transaction and transfer of the NRC license, NANO Nuclear would own one of ten NRC-licensed fuel cycle facilities in the United States
New York, N.Y., Oct. 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) (“NANO Nuclear” or the “Company”), an advanced nuclear energy and technology company developing microreactors, nuclear fuel cycle capabilities and nuclear transportation solutions, today announced that NANO Nuclear and its wholly owned subsidiary, HALEU Energy Fuel Inc., have entered into a definitive asset purchase agreement with Radnostix, Inc. (formerly International Isotopes Inc.) and its subsidiary International Isotopes Fluorine Products, Inc. to acquire strategic U.S. nuclear fuel processing assets, including a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“NRC”) license and related intellectual property and technical materials associated with a previously planned depleted uranium hexafluoride (“DUF6”) deconversion and fluorine extraction facility in Lea County, New Mexico.
The proposed acquisition would provide NANO Nuclear with existing NRC-licensed fuel cycle assets and a substantial body of associated licensing and technical work. Upon completion of the transaction and transfer of the NRC license, NANO Nuclear would own one of ten NRC-licensed fuel cycle facilities in the United States. The acquisition is also subject to the satisfaction of future closing conditions.
Figure 1 - NANO Nuclear Energy Advances Vertical Integration Strategy by Signing Definitive Agreement to Acquire Strategic NRC-Licensed U.S. Nuclear Fuel Processing Assets - IIFP General Site Location, Proposed Facility Boundary, and Plant Throughput for the DUF₆ Deconversion Process.
By acquiring an existing NRC-licensed fuel cycle asset, NANO Nuclear is strategically positioned with the flexibility to pursue a depleted uranium hexafluoride (“DUF6) deconversion facility or additional fuel cycle processes through amendments to the existing NRC license, which NANO Nuclear believes could provide a significantly more efficient regulatory pathway than developing and licensing a comparable facility on a new site. The licensing, regulatory, engineering and technical foundation derived from the acquired assets could also inform and potentially streamline the development and licensing of similar fuel cycle capabilities at other locations. Together, these assets would provide NANO Nuclear with increased optionality to pursue domestic fuel cycle opportunities, either independently or in collaboration with other nuclear fuel processing companies.
If completed, the proposed acquisition would represent another important milestone in NANO Nuclear’s long-term strategy to establish a vertically integrated advanced nuclear energy and fuel platform, extending its potential capabilities, whether internally or through strategic collaborations, across uranium conversion, enrichment, deconversion and transportation through reactor deployment.
Figure 2 - NANO Nuclear Energy Advances Vertical Integration Strategy by Signing Definitive Agreement to Acquire Strategic NRC-Licensed U.S. Nuclear Fuel Processing Assets
Establishing a Strategic U.S. Nuclear Fuel Cycle Platform
The NRC license was originally issued to construct and operate a DUF6 deconversion and fluorine extraction facility in Lea County, New Mexico. The proposed acquisition also includes related patented technology, engineering and safety analyses, regulatory and permitting materials, equipment and historical project development records. The facility contemplated under the existing license was not previously constructed.
While the site is licensed by the NRC under 10 CFR Part 40, “Domestic Licensing of Source Material,” the licensing basis was required by the NRC to meet applicable requirements of Subpart H of 10 CFR Part 70, “Domestic Licensing of Special Nuclear Material,” in connection with a rulemaking framework previously contemplated by the NRC. NANO Nuclear expects the acquisition of an existing licensed fuel cycle facility developed to these requirements to facilitate a more streamlined regulatory pathway for adding certain additional fuel cycle processes requiring authorization under 10 CFR Part 70 through future license amendments if desired, subject in each case to applicable NRC review and approval.
Following closing and transfer of the NRC license, NANO Nuclear plans to continue its evaluation of several options in determining the optimal commercial and development pathway for the acquired assets, including potential deconversion and other fuel cycle activities, as well as opportunities to collaborate with potential strategic partners. No final investment decision has been made, and any future development remains subject to applicable technical, commercial, financing and regulatory considerations.
“This proposed acquisition is fundamentally about securing a strategically valuable position within the U.S. nuclear fuel cycle,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer of NANO Nuclear Energy. “An existing NRC-licensed fuel cycle facility, supported by years of regulatory and technical development, provides us with a foundation we believe is extremely difficult to recreate from the ground up. It gives us multiple potential pathways to expand our domestic fuel cycle capabilities while preserving the flexibility to determine the development strategy that creates the greatest long-term value.”
“Our objective is to build the capabilities necessary to support a more complete and resilient domestic nuclear energy industry,” said Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear Energy. “This transaction would establish another critical pillar of our vertically integrated nuclear fuel strategy, providing us with an important platform from which to pursue future fuel cycle opportunities, both independently and alongside strategic industry collaborators. I am very pleased with our continued business and commercial approach to creating long-term shareholder value in the nuclear energy sector.”
Transaction Terms and Next Steps
Under the asset purchase agreement, the consideration being paid for the assets at closing is $9.5 million in cash and $4.0 million in NANO common stock, payable and issuable at closing in accordance with the agreement. Closing remains subject to NRC consent to the license transfer, other required approvals and consents (including from New Mexico officials), satisfactory site arrangements and other closing conditions. The parties currently expect closing in approximately 90 to 120 days, although the timing will depend on those approvals and conditions.