Former Head of Engineering at Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. brings firsthand knowledge of recently acquired advanced reactor technologies and extensive reactor building experience

NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) (“NANO Nuclear” or “the Company”), a leading advanced nuclear energy and technology company focused on developing clean energy solutions, today announced that Florent Heidet, Ph.D. has joined NANO Nuclear as its Chief Technology Officer and Head of Reactor Development.

Dr. Heidet is a world-renowned expert on advanced nuclear reactor technologies, leveraging two decades of nuclear engineering and project management expertise. Dr. Heidet was previously the Head of Engineering at Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. (USNC), where he led a multidisciplinary team of over 100 experts working around the globe to advance the development of the KRONOS MMR^TM Energy System and LOKI MMR^TM technologies prior to their acquisition by NANO Nuclear earlier this year.

Prior to his leadership role with USNC, Dr. Heidet spent 12 years at Argonne National Laboratory, where he played a central role in most of the laboratory’s reactor design projects. He led the design of the Versatile Test Reactor, a $2 billion program under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy, served as the Argonne manager for the Transformational Challenge Reactor program, coordinated the Nuclear Thermal Propulsion efforts in support of NASA, and provided expertise and leadership to numerous federal, commercial, and international projects.

Dr. Heidet will be primarily responsible for advancing all of NANO Nuclear’s reactor projects and will have general oversight of all the Company’s various other technologies in development. His decades of experience and status as an innovator in the nuclear energy industry will be invaluable to NANO Nuclear as it seeks to position itself as a global leader in advanced nuclear energy solutions. He will report to both James Walker, NANO Nuclear’s Chief Executive Officer, and Jay Yu, NANO Nuclear’s Chairman and President. Mr. Walker is relinquishing the position of NANO Nuclear’s Head of Reactor Development to accommodate the hiring of Dr. Heidet.

“I am very proud to join the NANO Nuclear team, and I plan to hit the ground running and play a leading role in the development of our innovative suite of nuclear reactor and related technologies,” said Dr. Florent Heidet, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Reactor Development of NANO Nuclear Energy. “The management and technical teams at NANO Nuclear have proven themselves to be innovators with the development of proprietary microreactor systems like ODIN and ZEUS, and it is a pleasure to continue my work on the KRONOS MMR^TM and LOKI MMR^TM systems alongside them. I’ve had the opportunity to examine the several microreactor technologies being developed in the marketplace, and I believe NANO Nuclear is the ideal home for the KRONOS MMR^TM and LOKI MMR^TM. I am dedicated to seeing the development of all of NANO Nuclear reactor designs, as well as its other innovative technologies, from testing, to regulatory approvals and through to commercialization.”

Figure 1 – NANO Nuclear Energy Appoints Leading Advanced Nuclear Reactor Engineer Florent Heidet, Ph.D., as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Head of Reactor Development

Dr. Heidet has a proven track-record of assembling highly effective teams and consistently delivering impactful outcomes. His organizational skills are widely acknowledged through several institutional awards. Dr. Heidet holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, a M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the ENSAM (Paris, France), and business program certificates from both Berkeley Haas School of Business and Chicago Booth School of Business. He has published numerous peer-reviewed technical papers and authored several chapters of the Encyclopedia of Nuclear Energy.

“There are very few experts in the nuclear energy sector who can drive and build advanced reactor developments as effectively as Dr. Heidet,” said Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear Energy. “His career has been dedicated to pursuing innovative reactor solutions that address growing energy demands here in the U.S. and around the world. His comprehensive industry knowledge and the technical expertise required to oversee the design and construction of these sophisticated reactors, as well as our other innovative technologies, will be crucial to NANO Nuclear and will help to solidify our position as a leader in the field.”

“Dr. Heidet’s appointment at NANO Nuclear marks another milestone in our efforts to commercialize advanced, portable microreactor and related technologies,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer of NANO Nuclear Energy. “He has contributed to numerous innovative breakthroughs in the field and has overseen major development projects worth billions of dollars, including those with government funding. His exceptional experience and expertise in the nuclear industry will be instrumental in advancing our technology through development, licensing, and eventual commercialization.”