US-based company Oklo has received approval for the Nuclear Safety Design Agreement (NSDA) for its Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility (A3F), which will produce the fuel for its upcoming Aurora-INL reactor. The approval, granted by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Idaho Operations Office, is the first under the Fuel Line Pilot Projects initiative aimed at establishing a domestic supply chain for advanced reactor fuel.
The approval process was completed in under two weeks and represents a turning point in the United States’ approach to accelerating the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies. The DOE describes the framework as a model to streamline the design, construction and operation of nuclear fuel production lines for research and development projects, while providing a faster authorisation pathway for advanced reactor developers.
Towards a new nuclear fuel supply chain
Oklo is one of four companies selected for the Fuel Line Pilot Program, launched by the DOE following a presidential executive order to secure a domestic nuclear fuel supply. This initiative complements the Reactor Pilot Program, which aims to bring at least three advanced reactors online by July 2026. Oklo’s Aurora-INL, a sodium-cooled fast reactor, is among those selected. Its design is based on the Experimental Breeder Reactor II, which operated at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) from 1964 to 1994.
The new A3F facility will process recycled metallic nuclear fuel sourced from legacy INL materials. This approach reduces reliance on foreign supply chains while improving fuel economics through advanced fabrication and recycling technologies.
Industrial framework and economic outlook
The A3F site marks a key step in Oklo’s vertical integration, enabling in-house production of the initial core for its Aurora-INL reactor. The business model leverages existing nuclear assets to create a new domestic production stream. Oklo CEO Jacob DeWitte stated that the technologies involved unlock new economic potential by lowering production costs and diversifying revenue streams.
In 2019, Oklo received both site-use authorisation at INL and access to recycled fuel, following a competitive DOE process to allocate legacy nuclear material. That decision laid the foundation for the company’s current development strategy, focused on repurposing national nuclear resources.
Robert Boston, manager of the DOE Idaho Operations Office, welcomed the swift approval of the Aurora facility’s safety plan. He emphasised the importance of demonstrating how the United States can rapidly and safely scale up advanced nuclear fuel manufacturing in support of national industrial goals.
