EcoWatch
Facebook 573k Twitter 238k Instagram 37k Subscribe Subscribe
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Policy
  • Renewables
  • Culture
  • Science
  • Go Solar Today
      • Top Companies By State
        • California Solar Companies
        • Texas Solar Companies
        • New York Solar Companies
        • Florida Solar Companies
        • See All States
      • Top Incentives By State
        • California Solar Incentives
        • Texas Solar Incentives
        • New York Solar Incentives
        • Florida Solar Incentives
        • See All States
      • Solar Panel Costs By State
        • Solar Panel Costs in California
        • Solar Panel Costs in Texas
        • Solar Panel Costs in New York
        • Solar Panel Costs in Florida
        • See All States
      • Value of Solar by State
        • Is Solar Worth It In California?
        • Is Solar Worth It in Texas?
        • Is Solar Worth It New York?
        • Is Solar Worth It In Florida?
        • See All States
      • Company Reviews
        • Tesla Solar Review
        • Sunrun Solar Review
        • SunPower Solar Review
        • Vivint Solar Review
        • See All Companies
      • Common Solar Questions
        • Can You Get Free Solar Panels?
        • Does Solar Increase Home Value?
        • What’re The Best Solar Batteries?
        • Can You Finance Solar?
        • Where To Buy Solar Panels?
        • Payback On Solar Panels?
      • Solar Resources
        • Interactive Solar Calculator
        • Federal Solar Tax Credit 2023
        • Best Solar Panels For Most Homes
        • Tesla Solar Roof Review
        • Cheapest Solar Panels
      • Companies Compared
        • SunPower vs Tesla Solar
        • SunRun vs Tesla Solar
        • SunRun vs SunPower
        • SunPower vs Momentum Solar
        • SunPower vs ADT Solar
EcoWatch
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Policy
  • Renewables
  • Culture
  • Science
  • Go Solar Today
    • Go Solar Today
    • Top Companies By State
      • California Solar Companies
      • Texas Solar Companies
      • New York Solar Companies
      • Florida Solar Companies
      • See All States
    • Top Incentives By State
      • California Solar Incentives
      • Texas Solar Incentives
      • New York Solar Incentives
      • Florida Solar Incentives
      • See All States
    • Solar Panel Costs By State
      • Solar Panel Costs in California
      • Solar Panel Costs in Texas
      • Solar Panel Costs in New York
      • Solar Panel Costs in Florida
      • See All States
    • Value of Solar by State
      • Is Solar Worth It In California?
      • Is Solar Worth It in Texas?
      • Is Solar Worth It New York?
      • Is Solar Worth It In Florida?
      • See All States
    • Company Reviews
      • Tesla Solar Review
      • Sunrun Solar Review
      • SunPower Solar Review
      • Vivint Solar Review
      • See All Companies
    • Common Solar Questions
      • Can You Get Free Solar Panels?
      • Does Solar Increase Home Value?
      • What’re The Best Solar Batteries?
      • Can You Finance Solar?
      • Where To Buy Solar Panels?
      • Payback On Solar Panels?
    • Solar Resources
      • Interactive Solar Calculator
      • Federal Solar Tax Credit 2023
      • Best Solar Panels For Most Homes
      • Tesla Solar Roof Review
      • Cheapest Solar Panels
    • Companies Compared
      • SunPower vs Tesla Solar
      • SunRun vs Tesla Solar
      • SunRun vs SunPower
      • SunPower vs Momentum Solar
      • SunPower vs ADT Solar

The best of EcoWatch right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

    • About EcoWatch
    • Contact EcoWatch
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Learn About Solar Energy
    Facebook 573k Twitter 238k Instagram 37k
    EcoWatch
    • About EcoWatch
    • Contact EcoWatch
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Learn About Solar Energy
    Facebook 573k Twitter 238k Instagram 37k
    Home Energy

    First Commercial-Scale Nuclear Fuel Recycling Facility Being Developed

    By: Paige Bennett
    Updated: January 26, 2023
    Edited by Chris McDermott
    Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon
    A rendering of the Aurora Powerhouse, a commercial-scale nuclear fuel recycling facility
    A rendering of the Aurora Powerhouse nuclear fuel recycling facility. Oklo Inc.
    Why you can trust us

    Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

    Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon

    Oklo, a California-based energy startup, has submitted its licensing project plan for a commercial-scale nuclear fuel recycling facility to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The fuel recycling facility will be the first of its kind and is meant to make use of nuclear waste, which still has up to 90% of its energy content that could be used to meet energy needs in the U.S.

    The submitted licensing project plan outlines the company’s “pre-application engagement activities” ahead of licensing for the fuel recycling facility. The engagement activities are meant for Oklo to identify and reconcile regulatory requirements, “enabling efficient and effective NRC license application review through a process which is equivalent to a staged licensing approach with the benefits of flexibility and customization,” the company said in a press release.

    The company’s fuel recycling facility would be capable of recycling used nuclear fuel from its own reactors as well as reactors from other companies. According to Oklo, the spent fuel is about 95% recyclable, and the energy available in nuclear waste could meet U.S. energy needs for over 150 years.

    More From EcoWatch
    • Solar Energy Pros and Cons
    • How Does Your State Generate Power?
    • Are Solar Panels Worth It for Your Home? (2023 Buyer’s Guide)

    “The ability to economically recycle fuel is an important attribute for developing domestic fuel supplies, and offering recycling services also presents a sizeable opportunity,” said Jacob DeWitte, co-founder and CEO of Oklo. “We are taking a major step forward in bringing meaningful fuel recycling capabilities domestically that will produce cost-competitive fuel.” 

    Some of the specifics remain unknown, however. Oklo has not shared where the pilot facility will be located, nor how much fuel it could recycle and produce in the pilot. Oklo told POWER that the facility will produce fissionable uranium and transuranic element isotopes, which it will use to make fuel for its own fast reactors. Oklo also told POWER that it will use electrorefining-based technology for fuel recycling.

    The U.S. Department of Energy has selected Oklo and its partners for cost-share projects that can commercialize technology to turn used fuel into usable fuel. In addition, Oklo recently signed a 20-year deal with Compass Mining, a cryptocurrency-mining firm, as reported by CNET.

    While nuclear energy meets about one-fifth of electricity demand in the U.S., it can be expensive, and it raises safety concerns. Another major issue is a lack of long-term storage options for nuclear waste.

    Some countries, including France, China, and Japan, already have policies in place to reprocess spent fuel. But reprocessing is controversial, with Greenpeace calling it “an environmental and financial disaster” and “a commercial and industrial failure.”

    Oklo’s commercial-scale nuclear fuel recycling can help repurpose spent nuclear fuel, but safety concerns over nuclear power may remain.

    Subscribe to get exclusive updates in our daily newsletter!

      By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from EcoWatch Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.

      Paige Bennett

      Based in Los Angeles, Paige is a writer who is passionate about sustainability. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Ohio University and holds a certificate in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. She also specialized in sustainable agriculture while pursuing her undergraduate degree.
      Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon

      Read More

      Recycled Turbine Blades to Join One of the World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farms
      One of the greatest environmental challenges of the renewable energy
      By Olivia Rosane
      Biden’s DOE Announces $1.2 Billion to Extend or Restart the Life of Nuclear Plants
      For the first time, the Biden administration is offering money
      By Olivia Rosane
      ‘This Signals a New Era for the Wind Industry’: Vestas Announces Chemical Recycling Method for Turbine Blades
      Danish wind turbine maker Vestas has announced that it has
      By Cristen Hemingway Jaynes

      Subscribe to get exclusive updates in our daily newsletter!

        By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from EcoWatch Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.

        Latest Articles

        • Mountain-Dwelling Species Losing Habitats Rapidly, Study Finds
          by Paige Bennett
          March 21, 2023
        • 400,000 Gallons of Contaminated Water Leaked From Minnesota Nuclear Plant
          by Olivia Rosane
          March 21, 2023
        • Battery Data Genome: A Path to a Brighter Renewable Battery Future
          by Craig Thompson
          March 21, 2023
        • Feds Send Nevada $2.4 Million for Cloud Seeding
          by Climate Nexus
          March 21, 2023
        • This Is the Make-or-Break Decade for Climate Action, IPCC Warns
          by Olivia Rosane
          March 20, 2023
        • EU Solar Companies Say New Plans to Boost Domestic Products Over Imports Would Hamper Solar Progress
          by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
          March 20, 2023
        • Millions of Fish Dead in Australia River Following Low Oxygen Levels, High Temperatures
          by Paige Bennett
          March 20, 2023
        • EU Seeks to Boost Domestic Green Energy Production With Net Zero Industry Act
          by Olivia Rosane
          March 20, 2023
        EcoWatch

        The best of EcoWatch right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

          • Climate Climate
          • Animals Animals
          • Health + Wellness Health + Wellness
          • Insights + Opinion Insights + Opinion
          • Adventure Adventure
          • Oceans Oceans
          • Business Business
          • Solar Solar
          • About EcoWatch
          • Contact EcoWatch
          • EcoWatch Reviews
          • Terms of Use
          • Privacy Policy
          • Learn About Solar Energy
          • Learn About Deregulated Energy
          • EcoWatch UK
          Follow Us
          Facebook 573k
          Twitter 238k
          Instagram 37k
          Subscribe Subscribe

          Experts for a healthier planet and life.

          Mentioned by:
          Learn more