Hadron Energy Announces NRC Acceptance of Quality Assurance Program Description for Future Manufacturing License Applications, a First for a Light-Water Microreactor

Key Terms

10 cfr part 52 regulatory

10 CFR Part 52 is the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s rulebook for licensing nuclear reactors, covering early site approvals, standardized reactor designs, and combined construction-and-operating licenses. It matters to investors because it governs the permits and approvals a nuclear project needs, shaping the timeline, cost certainty, and regulatory risk—much like a building permit and design approval determine whether and how quickly a large factory can be built and run.

10 cfr part 50 regulatory

A section of U.S. federal rules that sets the requirements for licensing, construction, operation, and safety of commercial nuclear reactors and related facilities. It matters to investors because it defines the permits, inspections, safety standards, and potential liabilities that can shape project timelines, costs, and the likelihood a plant can operate or be modified—think of it as the building code and inspection regime for nuclear power projects that influences regulatory risk and capital planning.

asme nqa-1-2022 regulatory

ASME NQA-1-2022 is the 2022 edition of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Nuclear Quality Assurance standard, which sets clear requirements for quality management, documentation, testing, inspection and control of parts and services used in nuclear facilities. For investors, compliance acts like a strict, audited safety checklist: it reduces the chance of costly defects, regulatory trouble or delays, and therefore lowers project and supplier risk while supporting long-term value.

combined license (col) regulatory

A combined license (COL) is a regulatory permit that authorizes both the construction and operation of a nuclear power plant in a single approval, replacing the older two-step process of separate construction and operating licenses. For investors it provides clearer regulatory certainty and reduces a major source of project risk—similar to receiving one comprehensive building permit that covers both construction and occupancy—affecting timelines, costs and the likelihood of future revenue.

manufacturing license regulatory

A manufacturing license is an official permit from a government or regulator that authorizes a company to produce a specific product, often where safety, quality, or legal controls apply (for example medicines, medical devices, or regulated chemicals). For investors it matters because the license is like a driver’s license for production: without it a firm cannot legally sell the product, and obtaining or losing one can directly affect revenue, costs, timelines, and regulatory risk.

topical report regulatory

A topical report is a focused update or analysis that concentrates on one specific issue, trend, product, regulatory change, or market theme. For investors it matters because it distills the most relevant facts and potential impacts—like a weather briefing for a single storm—helping decide whether the news could change a company’s prospects, risk profile, or valuation. These reports aim to make a complex subject quickly actionable.

quality assurance program description regulatory

A quality assurance program description summarizes the systems, procedures and checks a company uses to make sure its products, services or processes consistently meet safety, regulatory and performance standards. For investors it acts like a recipe showing how reliably a company can deliver results: a clear, robust description suggests lower risk of costly failures, recalls or regulatory delays, while a vague or weak description can signal higher operational and compliance risk.

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REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hadron Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: HDRN) ("Hadron Energy" or the "Company"), an advanced nuclear technology company, today announced that the staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a final safety evaluation finding Revision 3 of the Company's Topical Report (TR), "Hadron Energy, Inc. Quality Assurance Program Description" (QAPD), acceptable for referencing in its future licensing applications under 10 CFR Part 52.

The NRC staff's final safety evaluation concludes that Hadron Energy's QAPD complies with applicable NRC regulations and industry standards in support of a future 10 CFR Part 52 application. The acceptance establishes a vetted quality assurance framework spanning the full life cycle of the Hadron Micro-Modular Reactor — including design, manufacturing, construction, operations, and decommissioning — and reflects Hadron Energy's integrated role as designer, manufacturer, and owner-operator.

While it is not a license to construct or operate a reactor, and it does not constitute NRC review, approval, or certification of the Hadron Micro-Modular Reactor design, the NRC’s acceptance of the Topical Report is a foundational, programmatic regulatory milestone. Furthermore, Hadron Energy is the first light-water microreactor company to receive acceptance by the NRC of QAPD.

A rigorous quality assurance program is foundational to the safe and reliable deployment of nuclear technology. By establishing an NRC-vetted quality framework at the pre-application stage, Hadron Energy is instituting the disciplined design, manufacturing, construction, and operational controls that underpin nuclear safety from the outset. The QAPD applies a graded, lifecycle-wide approach in which the level of control for any item or activity is commensurate with its safety significance, reinforcing Hadron Energy's commitment to building and operating its reactors to rigorous, independently reviewed industry quality standards, including ASME NQA-1-2022.

"The NRC staff's acceptance of our Quality Assurance Program Description is a critical milestone for Hadron Energy and the development of our Micro-Modular Reactor," said Sam Gibson, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hadron Energy. "A quality assurance program that the NRC staff finds acceptable provides a vetted foundation that we can reference as we advance our licensing strategy, helping reduce duplicative review of previously accepted material in future applications, and most importantly provide the confidence to the company’s conceptual reactor design framework as we move toward the first of a kind deployment.”

Standardizing Future Licensing Pathways

Hadron Energy’s QAPD addresses the full lifecycle of the Hadron Micro-Modular Reactor. The program is based on Appendix B to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50 and commits to nuclear industry quality standards, including ASME NQA-1-2022, as endorsed by NRC Regulatory Guide 1.28, Revision 6.

Consistent with standard NRC practice, the NRC staff has requested that Hadron Energy publish the accepted version of the Topical Report within three months of its receipt of the NRC's notification, which Hadron Energy will do. This publicly accessible version will incorporate the NRC's correspondence and final safety evaluation and will carry the official "-A" (designated accepted) suffix following the report identification number.

With the QAPD accepted by the NRC staff, Hadron Energy may cite the accepted program in subsequent licensing applications under 10 CFR Part 52, including a Combined License (COL) or a Manufacturing License, to the extent specified and subject to the limitations and conditions in the safety evaluation. Referencing previously accepted material is intended to avoid repetitive NRC review of that material in future applications.

About Hadron Energy, Inc.

Hadron Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: HDRN) is an advanced nuclear technology company focused on developing the Halo Micro-Modular Reactor (MMR), a 10 megawatt-electric (MWe) factory-manufactured, transportable light-water reactor. Engineered to deliver continuous, emission-free baseload power and heat with a multi-year refueling cycle, Hadron Energy aims to meet the growing demand for clean, scalable, and rapidly deployable energy solutions. As an integrated designer, manufacturer, and owner-operator, the Company is dedicated to powering a variety of critical sectors, including data centers, industrial facilities and heavy manufacturing, remote communities, and grid stabilization. For more information, visit www.hadronenergy.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Hadron Energy’s regulatory filings with the NRC, its path to approval of its license application, the design of Hadron Micro-Modular Reactor, and the expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions, plans, prospects or strategies regarding the business combination. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the management of Hadron Energy in light of their respective experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments as well as other factors they believe are appropriate in the circumstances. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting Hadron Energy will be those anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond the control of the parties) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including the ability of Hadron Energy to continue to meet the Nasdaq listing standards, and that Hadron Energy will have sufficient capital to operate as anticipated. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the assumptions being made prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260604951514/en/

Hadron Energy Investor Center:
https://www.hadronenergy.com/investor-relations

Hadron Energy Media & Investor Contact:
Samuel Gibson
Chief Executive Officer
sgibson@hadronenergy.com

Source: Hadron Energy, Inc.