Nov 12, 2025
The design of the Oklo fuel facility has been approved.
The Nuclear Safety Design Agreement for the Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility, where fuel for Oklo's first commercial-scale Aurora reactor will be produced, is the first under the US Department of Energy's Fuel Line Pilot Projects initiative and received approval in just under two weeks.
In late September, Oklo was chosen as one of four companies by the Department of Energy (DOE) for its Fuel Line Pilot Program to develop advanced nuclear fuel lines. This program was initiated in May through an executive order from President Donald Trump to create a domestic nuclear fuel supply chain for testing new reactors, including those in the DOE's Reactor Pilot Program, which aims for at least three reactors to achieve criticality by July 4, 2026. Oklo's Aurora-INL, a sodium-cooled fast reactor, is one of the selected projects to be built at Idaho National Laboratory (INL).
The DOE's Idaho Operations Office has approved the Nuclear Safety Design Agreement for the Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility - the A3F - where the initial core for Aurora-INL will be produced.
The rapid approval of the Nuclear Safety Design Agreement by the DOE's Idaho Operations Office highlights a new authorization pathway. This process offers a "modernized approach to building and operating nuclear fuel production lines for research, development, and demonstration purposes, while providing an expedited route for advanced reactor developers," according to Oklo.
"This approval signifies progress towards showcasing how we can repurpose used nuclear fuel to power the next generation of clean energy reactors," said Oklo co-founder and CEO Jacob DeWitte. "Advanced fuel fabrication and recycling technologies present a significant opportunity for our business, addressing fuel supply challenges while enhancing fuel economics and creating new revenue streams."
Oklo's reactor is based on the design and operational legacy of the Experimental Breeder Reactor II, which operated at INL from 1964 to 1994. The company obtained a site-use permit at INL and access to fuel recovered from the historic reactor in 2019 after a competitive process initiated by the DOE to enable access to fuel material.
Robert Boston, manager of the DOE Idaho Operations Office, stated that the approval of the Nuclear Safety Design Agreement for the Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility is a significant advancement. "We're excited for the companies selected for the Fuel Line Pilot Program to illustrate how the United States can safely and efficiently scale up the next generation of nuclear fuel manufacturing," he added.
In late September, Oklo was chosen as one of four companies by the Department of Energy (DOE) for its Fuel Line Pilot Program to develop advanced nuclear fuel lines. This program was initiated in May through an executive order from President Donald Trump to create a domestic nuclear fuel supply chain for testing new reactors, including those in the DOE's Reactor Pilot Program, which aims for at least three reactors to achieve criticality by July 4, 2026. Oklo's Aurora-INL, a sodium-cooled fast reactor, is one of the selected projects to be built at Idaho National Laboratory (INL).
The DOE's Idaho Operations Office has approved the Nuclear Safety Design Agreement for the Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility - the A3F - where the initial core for Aurora-INL will be produced.
The rapid approval of the Nuclear Safety Design Agreement by the DOE's Idaho Operations Office highlights a new authorization pathway. This process offers a "modernized approach to building and operating nuclear fuel production lines for research, development, and demonstration purposes, while providing an expedited route for advanced reactor developers," according to Oklo.
"This approval signifies progress towards showcasing how we can repurpose used nuclear fuel to power the next generation of clean energy reactors," said Oklo co-founder and CEO Jacob DeWitte. "Advanced fuel fabrication and recycling technologies present a significant opportunity for our business, addressing fuel supply challenges while enhancing fuel economics and creating new revenue streams."
Oklo's reactor is based on the design and operational legacy of the Experimental Breeder Reactor II, which operated at INL from 1964 to 1994. The company obtained a site-use permit at INL and access to fuel recovered from the historic reactor in 2019 after a competitive process initiated by the DOE to enable access to fuel material.
Robert Boston, manager of the DOE Idaho Operations Office, stated that the approval of the Nuclear Safety Design Agreement for the Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility is a significant advancement. "We're excited for the companies selected for the Fuel Line Pilot Program to illustrate how the United States can safely and efficiently scale up the next generation of nuclear fuel manufacturing," he added.