US-based nuclear start-up Oklo and US Forged Rings (USFR) have entered a strategic manufacturing agreement to secure domestic production capacity for large advanced nuclear reactor components. This collaboration aims to mitigate supply-chain bottlenecks and support the planned long-term, repeatable deployment of Oklo’s Aurora powerhouse fleet across the US.
The Aurora reactor, designed as a liquid metal-cooled, metal-fuelled fast reactor, builds directly upon the operational legacy of the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II), which ran at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) from 1964 to 1994. It will use high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) or recycled nuclear material. The Department of Energy’s (DOE) approved Oklo’s Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis (PDSA) in June.
The company’s initial commercial deployment, slated INL, will serve as the commercial launchpad before ramping up wider fleet manufacturing via partnerships like the one with USFR. Oklo will source its initial fuel assemblies from the nearby Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility (A3F), which received its own separate PDSA approval in December 2025 becoming the first project authorised under the DOE’s Fuel Line Pilot Program. Oklo plans to sells power through a build-own-operate model, supplying customers with electricity and heat through long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).
Under the agreement with USFR, Oklo will reserve manufacturing capacity for 27 Aurora powerhouse reactor modules. This includes heavy stainless-steel components such as reactor vessels, lids, and complex supporting structures.
Manufacturing will take place at USFR’s planned 2,000+ acre industrial campus in Hertford County, North Carolina. The campus is designed as an all-in-one hub integrating casting, forging, machining, fabrication, and final inspection to minimise transit delays between separate suppliers. It is intended to serve customers requiring large, complex metal components, including the nuclear energy, LNG, natural gas, power generation, defence and shipbuilding industries. The campus site will also provide access to adjacent domestic steelmaking, rail and an on-site port to support barge shipment of oversized components.
Initial delivery of finished components is scheduled to begin in 2030. The current arrangement secures domestic capacity to 2035, with built-in options to expand further. This long-lead procurement agreement focuses strictly on future fleet scalability. It remains completely separate from the ongoing manufacturing and construction activities dedicated to Oklo’s first commercial Aurora powerhouse at INL.
By partnering with USFR, Oklo plans to move its critical hardware inputs away from traditional overseas manufacturing, establishing a secure, domestic supply chain loop for its plants.
“Building nuclear powerhouses at scale means thinking well beyond the reactor itself. We need the fuel, manufacturing capabilities, suppliers and infrastructure in place to deliver projects repeatedly,” said co-founder and CEO of Oklo Jacob DeWitte. “This agreement supports our effort to build an American supply chain for a growing Aurora fleet, with large reactor components manufactured here in the United States. Reserving that capacity today prepares us for the demands of repeated deployments.”
Large stainless-steel components, including reactor vessels, lids and supporting structures, can present significant manufacturing and logistical challenges. Producing these components may require multiple fabrication steps, transportation between suppliers, and additional welding, machining and inspection.
“Today many of the largest steel components for nuclear reactors are sourced overseas,” said USFR CEO & President Giacomo Sozzi. “Our planned North Carolina campus is designed to bring that capability back to the United States, from liquid steel to finished, inspected components. Oklo’s decision to reserve capacity well ahead of need is the kind of early commitment that makes domestic heavy manufacturing possible. We’re excited to work with Oklo on the capabilities needed for future Aurora powerhouse deployments.”
