Oklo signed an agreement with the Department of Energy and received approval for a nuclear safety design plan for its Aurora reactor at Idaho National Laboratory, allowing the project to move into the next phase of review and development. The company has already asked DOE to begin evaluating its preliminary safety analysis as it works toward building and operating its first advanced reactor under the agency’s pilot program.

The project is part of a broader effort at INL that includes fuel fabrication and recycled fuel use, with Oklo planning to use DOE authorization to demonstrate the reactor before pursuing full commercial licensing through the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.