Recycling used fuel for advanced nuclear power

In September 2025, Oklo selected Oak Ridge, Tennessee, as the site for the nation’s first advanced commercial nuclear fuel recycling and fuel manufacturing facility. This $1.68 billion, privately funded investment is a major step toward building a secure domestic fuel supply for advanced reactors such as Oklo’s Aurora powerhouses.

The 248-acre facility will leverage Oak Ridge’s nuclear expertise and infrastructure while strengthening Tennessee’s leadership in nuclear power.

The fuel recycling facility

In Oak Ridge, Oklo will recycle used nuclear fuel from today’s reactor fleet and turn it into new fuel for tomorrow’s fast reactors. This process:

Recycles

used nuclear fuel, shortening the time needed to store the fuel from tens of thousands of years to a few hundred, and shrinking the volume of material requiring final disposal.

Recovers

valuable materials that still contain enormous energy potential or can be used to develop critical radioisotopes for medical, industrial, research, and defense applications.

Fabricates

fuel assemblies from recycled used nuclear fuel or high assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) for use in fast fission power plants like the Aurora powerhouse.

Benefits to Tennessee

Recycling substantially reduces nuclear waste volume, consolidates it, changes its form factor, and cuts the duration of its long-term radiotoxicity from hundreds of millennia to just a few hundred years.

The project aims to create more than 800 permanent, full-time, good-paying jobs across engineering, operations, security, manufacturing, and support roles; support collaboration with research institutions; and revitalize a former industrial site through sustainable redevelopment.

The project is also estimated to spur more than $680 million in additional regional economic activity, with third-party analysis underway.

Initial hiring is expected to begin later in 2026 with the opening of Oklo’s local office.


Read our press release here

Oak Ridge, Tennessee fact sheet(opens in new window)

Why Tennessee

The nuclear industry is deeply woven into the community of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Oak Ridge was built as a closed, wartime “Secret City” for the Manhattan Project, and it still anchors major national nuclear institutions including Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex.

The region is already a nuclear and advanced-energy hub, with large projects advancing across power generation and the fuel cycle. Oklo is helping lead the next phase of nuclear expansion in the state by building an integrated platform designed for rapid, scalable development.

Project timing

Subject to certain regulatory approvals and property transfers, Oklo projects the following high-level, community-facing project milestones:

Milestones Expected timing
Start of site preparation Early 2026
Opening local office and initial hiring 2026
Start of initial construction 2027
Start of volume hiring 2028
Commissioning 2030

Community engagement

Oklo has begun sustained community engagement and plans to open a local Oak Ridge office; hire locally and build a regional workforce pipeline; partner with schools, higher education institutions, and workforce programs; support local civic organizations and science education institutions; and engage with community historians and cultural stakeholders, including the Wheat Community.

Environmental impact

Large construction projects must meet protective standards before they proceed, and Oklo is experienced in these licensing requirements. Federal licensing (under the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission) includes reviews of wildlife, air, water, and habitat on the site. Siting prioritizes industrial corridors with existing infrastructure. The site was previously evaluated under the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act for alternative industrial use and received a Finding of No Significant Impact.