Wedoany.com Report-Sept. 5, Oklo (OKLO.N), a U.S.-based nuclear power company, announced on Thursday that it intends to design, build, and operate a nuclear fuel recycling plant in Tennessee as the first stage of a planned fuel center with an estimated cost of up to $1.68 billion. The project, which requires approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), could become the first facility of its kind in the United States. Operations are targeted to begin in the early 2030s, with more than 800 jobs expected to be created.

The company’s initial investment will focus on building a facility to recycle, or reprocess, nuclear waste—referred to in the industry as spent nuclear fuel—into usable fuel for advanced reactors, including Oklo’s planned Aurora fast reactor. Oklo aims to obtain an NRC license for the Aurora project by late 2027.

Oklo also plans to cooperate with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the federally owned power utility, to recycle nuclear waste from its reactors and to evaluate potential power sales from Oklo’s advanced systems to TVA.

Jacob DeWitte, co-founder and CEO of Oklo, emphasized the significance of the initiative: “By recycling used fuel at scale, we are turning waste into gigawatts, reducing costs, and establishing a secure U.S. supply chain.” He added that the recycling process developed by Oklo would produce plutonium and uranium mixed with other elements, preventing them from being used as fissile materials.

France and several other countries already conduct nuclear waste reprocessing by separating uranium and plutonium for reuse in new reactor fuel. In the U.S., reprocessing was initially halted in 1976 under the administration of President Gerald Ford due to concerns about potential misuse. The moratorium was later lifted in 1981 by President Ronald Reagan, but economic challenges prevented commercial reprocessing facilities from advancing.

Oklo argues that recycling the spent nuclear fuel currently stored at reactor sites across the country could unlock vast energy potential, equivalent to five times the oil reserves of Saudi Arabia. By utilizing this approach, the company believes it can contribute to reducing reliance on traditional fuels while ensuring sustainable power generation.

The project has also received attention for its potential contribution to regional development. Don Moul, TVA President and CEO, stated: “The next generation of nuclear technologies are being built and developed right here in our own backyard.”

If realized, Oklo’s Tennessee fuel recycling plant would represent a milestone for advanced nuclear technologies in the United States. By coupling recycling with reactor deployment, the company aims to expand energy security, lower costs, and create new opportunities in the nuclear sector. This development highlights the growing role of innovative nuclear solutions in meeting future energy needs.