Wedoany.com Report-Nov. 12, The Nuclear Safety Design Agreement for Oklo’s Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility, where fuel for the company’s first commercial-scale Aurora reactor will be produced, has been approved by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in under two weeks. This facility, known as A3F, is the first approval under the DOE’s Fuel Line Pilot Projects initiative, which aims to establish domestic nuclear fuel supply chains for advanced reactors.

Recovered metallic fuel alloy from recycled metal fuel is prepared to fabricate into assemblies for Aurora-INL

Oklo was selected in late September as one of four companies chosen for the DOE’s Fuel Line Pilot Program to build advanced nuclear fuel lines. This program was launched in May under an executive order to support a domestic supply chain for testing new reactors, including those in the DOE’s Reactor Pilot Program, which targets at least three reactors achieving criticality by July 4, 2026. Oklo’s Aurora-INL reactor, a sodium-cooled fast reactor, is among the selected projects and is planned for construction at Idaho National Laboratory (INL).

The swift approval of the Nuclear Safety Design Agreement by the DOE’s Idaho Operations Office establishes a modernized authorization pathway for building and operating nuclear fuel production lines. Oklo stated that the process offers “an accelerated route for advanced reactor developers” while supporting research, development, and demonstration purposes.

“This approval marks clear progress toward demonstrating how we can repurpose used nuclear fuel to power the next generation of clean energy reactors,” said Jacob DeWitte, Oklo co-founder and CEO. “Advanced fuel fabrication and recycling technologies represent a significant unlock for our business, addressing fuel-supply challenges while transforming fuel economics and creating new revenue opportunities.”

Oklo’s Aurora reactor leverages the design and operational heritage of the Experimental Breeder Reactor II, which operated at INL from 1964 to 1994. The company obtained a site-use permit at INL in 2019 and access to fuel recovered from the historic reactor through a competitive DOE process. This foundation enables Oklo to advance its next-generation reactor design with proven safety and operational experience.

Robert Boston, manager of the DOE Idaho Operations Office, commented: “Approval of the Nuclear Safety Design Agreement for the Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility is an important step forward. We’re excited for companies selected for the Fuel Line Pilot Program to demonstrate how the United States can safely and efficiently scale the next generation of nuclear fuel manufacturing.”

The Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility will be located at INL and will produce the initial core for the Aurora-INL reactor. This facility is designed to support Oklo’s broader mission of developing advanced reactors that utilize innovative fuel and recycling technologies, helping to enhance fuel security, reduce costs, and enable commercial deployment of clean nuclear energy.

The approval is seen as a milestone for the U.S. advanced nuclear sector, demonstrating how regulatory modernization and public-private collaboration can accelerate development of domestic nuclear fuel supply chains while maintaining high safety standards.