A rendering of the recycling facility
The company is also working with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to explore recycling TVA’s used fuel at the new site and assess potential power sales from future Aurora reactors in the region. Oklo said this collaboration would be the first time a US utility “has explored recycling its used fuel into clean electricity using modern electrochemical processes.”
Oklo co-founder and CEO Jacob DeWitte stated: “Fuel is the most important factor in bringing advanced nuclear energy to market. By recycling used fuel at scale, we are turning waste into gigawatts, reducing costs, and establishing a secure US supply chain that will support the deployment of clean, reliable, and affordable power. Tennessee is showing the nation that recycling can be done to support new nuclear development and growth.”
The company confirmed that it has completed a licensing project plan for the facility with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and is currently engaged in pre-application discussions with the regulator. The Aurora powerhouse is a fast neutron reactor that employs heat pipes to transfer heat from the reactor core to a supercritical carbon dioxide power conversion system, producing both electricity and usable heat. It can run on either fresh high-assay low-enriched uranium or recycled nuclear fuel.
Oklo intends to build its first Aurora powerhouse at Idaho National Laboratory, with a combined construction and operating licence application to the NRC planned for submission later this year. The company is among the 11 firms initially chosen by the Department of Energy for its Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program, which targets at least one advanced reactor project achieving criticality within the coming year.
Currently, over 94,000 tonnes of used nuclear fuel are stored at nuclear power plant sites across the United States, much of which is considered recyclable. The Oak Ridge project will form the cornerstone of a broader campus designed to include both recycling and fuel fabrication capabilities.
TVA President and CEO Don Moul said: “The next generation of nuclear technologies are being built and developed right here in our own backyard. Our partnership with Oklo represents yet another step forward in shaping the future of nuclear energy and ensuring a secure energy future for the Valley and beyond.”
Government-owned TVA is the largest public power provider in the United States, with a generation portfolio that includes nuclear, hydro, coal, gas, solar, and emerging technologies. It has recently advanced projects such as a permit application for an SMR at Clinch River near Oak Ridge, collaborations with ENTRA1 Energy on up to 6GW of NuScale SMR capacity, and a power purchase agreement with Kairos Power for up to 50MW from its Hermes 2 demonstration reactor at Oak Ridge.
According to Oklo, the Oak Ridge facility is expected to begin producing metal fuel for Aurora reactors by the early 2030s, subject to regulatory approvals.
