First Commercial-Scale Nuclear Fuel Recycling Facility Being Developed
30th January 2023
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.