US-based nuclear power and fuel recycling company Oklo held a groundbreaking ceremony at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for its first Aurora powerhouse, under the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Reactor Pilot Program. Aurora-INL is one of three projects awarded to Oklo under the program, created in response to Executive Orders signed in May 2025 to accelerate advanced nuclear deployment.
The Aurora-INL is a sodium-cooled fast reactor that uses metal fuel and builds on the design and operating heritage of the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II), which ran in Idaho from 1964 to 1994. Oklo was awarded fuel recovered from EBR-II by the DOE in 2019 and has completed two of four steps for DOE authorisation to fabricate its initial core at the Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility (A3F) at INL.
“As advancements in artificial intelligence drive up electricity demands, projects like this are critical to ensuring the United States can meet that need and remain at the forefront of the global AI arms race,” said US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “I am honoured to be attending today’s groundbreaking in order to witness firsthand the innovation and increased energy production we’re seeing under President Donald J Trump’s American Energy Dominance Agenda.”
Oklo CEO & Co-founder Jacob DeWitte said: “This opportunity positions us to build our first plant more quickly. We have been working with the Department of Energy and the Idaho National Laboratory since 2019 to bring this plant into existence, and this marks a new chapter of building.”
Kiewit Nuclear Solutions, a subsidiary of construction and engineering company Kiewit Corporation, will serve as lead constructor supporting the design, procurement, and construction of the powerhouse under a Master Services Agreement announced in 2025. Oklo expects to leverage Kiewit’s extensive expertise in delivering large-scale industrial projects on accelerated schedules with reduced costs, while maintaining high standards of safety and quality. The project is expected to create approximately 370 jobs during construction and 70-80 long-term, highly skilled roles to operate the powerhouse and A3F.
“DOE is excited by the opportunity to work with reactor developers, such as Oklo, to capitalise on this moment of broad support for new nuclear generation and bring the Reactor Pilot Program into reality,” said Robert Boston, manager of the DOE Idaho Operations Office.
INL Director John Wagner noted: “INL has always been where nuclear innovation becomes reality. Today’s groundbreaking with Oklo continues that legacy, bringing advanced reactor technology from the laboratory to commercial deployment right here in Idaho.”
Oklo was the first to receive a site use permit from DOE for a commercial advanced fission plant and submitted the first custom combined licence application for an advanced reactor to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Oklo is also developing advanced fuel recycling technologies in collaboration with DOE and US National Laboratories.
Oklo says it is on track to bring its first plant online at INL before the end of the decade. However, the US has not operated a fast neutron reactor since the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) shut down. However, projected increases in power demand have now encouraged some companies to revisit the technology. EBR-II operated at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) from 1964 to 1994 using a metallic alloy fuel containing highly enriched uranium (HEU). It generated power for the lab and supported reactor research and development projects.
While Oklo’s website describes the EBR-II at length, it says nothing about its own fast reactor technology development. Currently, the only commercially operating liquid-metal fast reactors are in Russia, with experimental units in operation in China and India, all of which took decades to develop. In its Forward-Looking Statement, Oklo says: “There can be no assurance that future developments affecting Oklo will be those that Oklo has anticipated.”
