Oklo, a nuclear startup, is headed to Oak Ridge. Here’s what to know.

Nuclear startup Oklo plans to build a nuclear fuel recycling facility in Oak Ridge.The project promises a $1.68 billion investment and around 800 jobs for Roane County.The facility will recycle used nuclear fuel, which could help strengthen the American supply.Oklo is the fifth company to receive a grant from Tennessee’s state nuclear fund to incentivize innovation.

Oklo, a nuclear startup promising a $1.68 billion investment, and about 800 jobs, will land in Oak Ridge alongside decades-old institutions and a suite of new nuclear businesses. The California company intends to build a nuclear fuel recycling facility in a phased expansion.

The announcement was the biggest jobs news in the history of Roane County and would represent the first private nuclear fuel recycling center in the U.S.

Here are four things to know about the company’s plans.

What does Oklo make?

Oklo is in the process of building advanced microreactors to generate power. Right now, it has U.S. Department of Energy’s approval for a concept design of a fuel fabrication center in Idaho, and it’s seeking a license for a reactor at Idaho National Laboratory after the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission rejected its license application in 2022. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said the company was free to reapply in the future.

Oklo is also working on fuel recycling technology, hoping to build up the American fuel supply and power its own reactors.

Why recycle nuclear fuel?

Almost all nuclear fuel ‒ about 95% of it ‒ isn’t split for energy. Changing that percentage by reusing fuel could shift the economics of the nuclear game.

The nuclear fuel supply is a topic of strong national interest. The federal government announced in August that it was looking for companies to join a new supply chain group aimed at cutting fuel dependence on other countries. The government’s move comes as energy demand in the U.S. spikes over growth from the artificial intelligence industry.

When will the Oklo facility come online, and where will it be?

The recycling plant will start operating by the early 2030s, Oklo CEO Jacob DeWitte said.

It will come online in Oak Ridge’s Heritage Park on former K-25 land, which was cleared for industrial use by the Department of Energy and its cleanup contractor, United Cleanup Oak Ridge. It will sit on 247 acres and its executives are in talks with local officials about transferring the land, according to David Wilson, the chair of Oak Ridge’s industrial development board.

The recycling facility is a first step in Oklo’s plans, according to a company press release.

Oklo will benefit from Tennessee’s nuclear fund

Oklo is the fifth company to be contracted for a grant under the state’s nuclear fund, which exists to incentivize nuclear energy innovation. With the award it joins East Tennessee institutions including the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Roane State Community College, along with nuclear companies with an East Tennessee presence like Type One Energy.

A spokesperson for the state’s department of economic and community development did not immediately answer a question about the amount of the award to Oklo. Other contracted grant-winners received $4.5 million (Type One), about $1 million (Tennessee Tech University), $1.5 million (UT) and $462,000 (Roane State).

Mariah Franklin is a growth and development reporter focused on technology and energy. Email mariah.franklin@knoxnews.com.

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