Nuclear energy has been producing clean, reliable power for decades. Today, advances in nuclear technology are opening up new ways to meet energy demands, use fuel more efficiently, and produce materials with important uses far beyond the power sector.
Advanced reactors are one part of that progress. New designs can provide clean, reliable power at a smaller scale, creating more flexibility in where nuclear energy is deployed and the customers it can serve. But some of the most exciting opportunities for nuclear innovation extend beyond power generation. By making better use of nuclear fuel and unlocking valuable isotopes, we can extend the benefits of nuclear technology into new industries and applications.
When nuclear fuel is removed from a conventional reactor, more than 90% of its potential energy remains. Fuel recycling can recover usable material from that fuel and put it back to work in advanced reactors.
For Oklo, fuel recycling is a critical part of making better use of nuclear material already in the United States. Recycling allows more of the energy contained in used fuel to be put to use while reducing the volume of material that ultimately requires disposal. As advanced nuclear scales, these existing resources will also strengthen the domestic nuclear fuel supply.
The value of these nuclear materials also extends beyond their potential to produce energy. They're also a source of valuable isotopes used in cancer diagnosis and treatment, advanced manufacturing, scientific research, space exploration, and national security. Isotopes are difficult to produce and have limited supply chains, creating a need for new sources of production, especially in the United States.
Oklo is already building the foundation for that domestic production. In August, our Groves Isotope Test Reactor in Texas reached criticality less than a year after groundbreaking, building the operating experience and capabilities that will support future commercial isotope production.
Looking across the full nuclear fuel cycle changes what is possible. By finding new ways to use nuclear materials throughout their lifecycle, we can expand the role nuclear technology plays in addressing some of the country’s most important energy, economic, and technological needs.
As advanced nuclear expands in the U.S., so do the opportunities to do more with the materials that are a part of it. Producing clean power remains at the center, while innovation in recycling and isotope production can extend the value of nuclear technology well beyond electricity generation, bringing its benefits into the critical systems that support our health, economy, security, and progress.