Oklo’s Atomic Alchemy Announces U.S. Department of Energy Approval for Nuclear Safety Design Agreement of its Groves Isotopes Test Reactor

LOCKHART, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Oklo Inc. (NYSE: OKLO) (“Oklo”), an advanced nuclear technology company, today announced the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has approved the Nuclear Safety Design Agreement (NSDA) for Atomic Alchemy’s Groves Isotopes Test Reactor in Texas under the DOE’s Reactor Pilot Program (RPP).

The NSDA approval for Oklo’s wholly owned subsidiary follows the announcement of the signing of the Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) for the facility in January and is a major milestone in DOE’s RPP authorization pathway, designed to speed execution and help expand U.S. industrial capacity through a framework that supports swift, scalable deployment. With the NSDA approved, the facility moves into the next phase of project execution under DOE oversight by submitting its Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis (PDSA) for review.

“With DOE’s approval, we are making meaningful progress in the development of this isotope facility,” said Jacob DeWitte, co-founder and CEO of Oklo. “This plant will help us gather critical data, refine our processes, and apply those lessons to subsequent licensing submissions and future deployments.”

“DOE is committed to a safety-first approach that enables disciplined progress from the drawing board through deployment-ready work,” said Robert Boston, Manager of the DOE Idaho Operations Office. “The NSDA approval for this radioisotope facility advances an authorization pathway that can strengthen domestic industrial capacity and support critical radioisotope supply chains.”

DOE’s RPP authorization offers a modern framework for building and operating advanced nuclear plants and supports an accelerated path to deployment for developers. Atomic Alchemy is targeting criticality for the Groves facility by July 4, 2026.

The site is located near Lockhart in Caldwell County, Texas and is part of the planned Proto-Town Innovation Hub, a development intended to host demonstrations of new construction technologies, full-scale prototype buildings, research facilities, and advanced manufacturing projects in robotics, space, and energy.

The facility will help lay the groundwork for future commercial plants that produce isotopes in the United States that support cancer diagnosis and treatment, advanced manufacturing, scientific research, space exploration, and national security needs. Many isotopes are currently sourced from overseas suppliers or produced in aging facilities; by starting with a pilot facility, Atomic Alchemy can develop reactor operating procedures, test and characterize the performance of reactor systems, validate processes, and then aim to scale to dependable domestic production.

About Oklo Inc.: Oklo Inc. is developing fast fission power plants to deliver clean, reliable, affordable energy at global scale; establishing a domestic supply chain for critical isotopes; and advancing nuclear fuel recycling to convert used nuclear fuel into clean energy. Oklo was the first to receive a site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy for a commercial advanced fission plant, was awarded fuel from Idaho National Laboratory, and submitted the first custom combined license application for an advanced reactor to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Oklo is also developing advanced fuel recycling technologies in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. National Laboratories.