HomeCarbon CreditsU.S. DOE Greenlights Oklo's First Commercial Nuclear Fission Plant at Idaho

U.S. DOE Greenlights Oklo’s First Commercial Nuclear Fission Plant at Idaho

Oklo, the California-based nuclear technology company recently announced that it has received clearance from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to proceed with site characterization for its first commercial fission power plant in Idaho.

The completion of the environmental compliance process is a significant milestone for Oklo as it can now initiate work for its fission power plant.

Jacob DeWitte, CEO and Co-Founder of Oklo noted,

“These approvals represent pivotal steps forward as we advance toward deploying the first commercial advanced fission plant. With this process complete, we can begin site characterization. Our unique business model of selling power directly to customers rather than power plants, combined with our early mover advantage, positions us to respond to a growing order book effectively and meet diverse energy needs across data centers, industrial processes, defense, and off-grid communities.”

Oklo Signed MOA with DOE for its Advanced Fission Power Plant

Oklo is dedicated to delivering clean, reliable, and affordable energy at a large scale. The company secured a site use permit in September through a Memorandum of Agreement with the DOE. This paved the way for its first commercial advanced fission power plant in Idaho, U.S. Interestingly, it’s the only advanced commercial fission company in the U.S. with a DOE site use permit.

The MOA will enable Oklo to conduct key site evaluations, including geotechnical studies, environmental surveys, and infrastructure planning. Additionally, it will also help maintain a schedule, manage costs, and support timely deployment.

On October 15, the company’s press release explained that they had also received DOE approval for its Conceptual Safety Design Report for the Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility, which will recycle nuclear fuel material at Idaho National Laboratory (INL).

Subsequently, the Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility will produce fuel for Oklo’s Aurora power plant at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). It will essentially deploy high assay low enriched uranium recovered from spent Experimental Breeder Reactor-II fuel.

With a secured fuel supply, site use permit, and strong regulatory progress, Oklo is ready to launch its Aurora reactor. Its developed supply chain will further support the first deployment.

Now that the final clearance is approved by both the DOE and INL, CEO Jacob DeWitte is confident in the collaboration. He expects to bring Oklo’s first commercial nuclear fission plant online within the next few years.

From Waste to Power: Oklo’s Aurora Reactor Sets New Standards in Clean Energy

We discovered from World Nuclear News some unique features of the Aurora powerhouse, which are illustrated below:

  • It is a fast neutron reactor that generates electricity by moving heat from its core to a supercritical carbon dioxide power conversion system.
  • Designed to run on either fresh HALEU or recycled nuclear fuel, Oklo’s reactors can transform used nuclear fuel into clean energy.
  • It can generate 15 MWe, scale up to 50 MWe, and operate for over a decade before needing refueling.

The fission pioneer also explained that they use advanced recycling techniques to keep transuranic materials together as fuel. This avoids the need to create pure material streams, which is a unique feature of fast reactors.

________________________________________________________________________

Uranium Royalty Corp.: Powering Decarbonization with Nuclear Efficiency

The only pure-play uranium royalty company is focused on capturing value from uranium price shifts through strategic investments. These include royalties, streams, debt, equity in uranium companies, and even physical uranium holdings. Notably, the company is growing with the rising demand for uranium.

  • IEA revealed that in the U.S. alone, nuclear energy supplied roughly 19% of total electricity in 2022 and accounted for 55% of the nation’s carbon-free electricity.
  • This nuclear output mitigated around 482 MMT of CO₂ emissions, which is equivalent to taking 107 million gasoline-powered vehicles off the roads.

More Power per Punch: Nuclear Energy Outshines Fossil Fuels

carbon credits

________________________________________________________________________

Why Oklo’s Advanced Nuclear Fission is Just One of A Kind

Oklo’s advanced fission powerhouse has unique advantages over traditional power generation technologies. In short clean, resilient, reliable, and affordable are the four features that truly make it one of a kind.  

The reactors produce zero carbon emissions which makes them an environmentally friendly option. Oklo has stressed the fact that the energy density of nuclear fuel is a million times more than fossil fuels, hence it requires less land for mining. This attribute is significant for environmental preservation.

Moreover, unlike coal and gas plants that require frequent refueling, Oklo’s reactors can run for decades on a single load. This is how the nuclear company ensures long-term fuel reliability and independence.

Check out the landscape view of Oklo’s preferred site in Idaho

okloImage Source: Oklo Inc

Talking about the cost-effective factor, the immense energy density of its fuel makes it an economical alternative to fossil fuels. Also, nuclear fuel has fewer resource requirements and lower operational costs.

Most importantly Oklo’s reactors deliver consistent, clean energy, and heat with minimal refueling—sometimes as infrequently as every 20 years. This long-term reliability supports steady power output that’s ideal for critical energy needs.

Thus, starting with Aurora, Oklo is developing unique kinds of next-generation reactors. Furthermore, with the collaboration with DOE and INL, the company is just on the right path to establishing nuclear fission as an abundant, affordable, and clean energy source across the world.


Disclosure: Owners, members, directors, and employees of carboncredits.com have/may have stock or option positions in any of the companies mentioned: UROY.

Carboncredits.com receives compensation for this publication and has a business relationship with any company whose stock(s) is/are mentioned in this article.

Additional disclosure: This communication serves the sole purpose of adding value to the research process and is for information only. Please do your own due diligence. Every investment in securities mentioned in publications of carboncredits.com involves risks that could lead to a total loss of the invested capital.

Please read our Full RISKS and DISCLOSURE here.

Most Popular
LATEST CARBON NEWS

Carbfix and CarbonQuest Unite to Revolutionize Carbon Capture in North America

CarbonQuest, the U.S.-based carbon capture and storage (CCS) provider, and Carbfix, Europe's leading CO2 mineral storage operator have announced a groundbreaking partnership to tackle...

Gone with the Wind: Is This the End for Wind Energy?

For years, wind energy has symbolized the clean energy transition. Towering turbines onshore and offshore have driven significant progress in reducing carbon emissions. However,...

ExxonMobil’s First-of-its-Kind Carbon Capture Solution for U.S. Data Centers

ExxonMobil, a pioneer in carbon capture and storage (CCS) helps U.S. industries, mainly steel, ammonia, and hydrogen reduce their carbon emissions while meeting growing...

UK Renewables Outshine Fossil Fuels in 2024: Wind Gushes Ahead

Renewable energy will take the lead in the UK power mix for the first full year in 2024, according to an analysis by global...
CARBON INVESTOR EDUCATION

Green AI Explained: Fueling Innovation with a Smaller Carbon Footprint

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform industries and unlock new opportunities, its environmental impact is also a matter of concern. While AI holds...

What’s Shaping North America’s Natural Gas in 2024? Insights from Wood Mackenzie

The natural gas market has immensely benefitted this year from robust storage levels and stabilized prices after the sharp spikes of 2022. However, challenges...

EU’s Green Bonds to Slash 55 MTS of CO₂ Annually. Can it Hit Europe’s 2050 Net Zero Target?

The European Commission released its NextGenerationEU (NGEU) Green Bonds Allocation and Impact Report 2024 explaining how proceeds from green bonds are being used to...

What is COP29 and Why Is It Hailed as The “Finance COP”?

As climate change worsens, the UN’s 29th annual climate conference, a.k.a. COP29, taking place from November 11 to 22, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan, is...

Disclosure: Owners, members, directors and employees of carboncredits.com have/may have stock or option position in any of the companies mentioned: UROY

Carboncredits.com receives compensation for this publication and has a business relationship with any company whose stock(s) is/are mentioned in this article

This content was reviewed and approved by Uranium Royalty Corp

Please read our Full RISKS and DISCLOSURE here.