Oklo Identifies 100,000 Metric Tons of U.S. Used Nuclear Fuel as a Major Energy Resource Opportunity

Oklo to Build Nuclear Fuel Recycling Facility in Tennessee

Oklo, a nuclear technology company, plans to invest nearly $1.7 billion to construct a nuclear fuel recycling facility in Tennessee, with construction expected to begin in 2027 and operations starting in the 2030s. This facility aims to recycle spent nuclear fuel, which the U.S. has accumulated to nearly 100,000 metric tons over the past six decades, enabling the use of this material in the company’s advanced Aurora fast reactors.

Conventional reactors only utilize less than 5% of the energy potential from enriched uranium before the spent fuel is discarded. Oklo’s reactor technology is designed to recover more energy from this used fuel, potentially reducing high-level waste production by 90% compared to conventional methods. The company’s first reactor, a 75-MWe liquid-metal-cooled unit, is planned for operation by 2028 at the Idaho National Laboratory.