US-based nuclear power and fuel recycling company Oklo has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with global technology leader ABB and has commissioned a digital monitoring room at its headquarters in Santa Clara, California. The monitoring room, equipped with ABB technology, will anchor Oklo’s operator training and simulation centre for its Aurora powerhouses.
Oklo is developing the Aurora microreactor, which uses heat pipes to transport heat from the reactor core to a supercritical carbon dioxide power conversion system to generate electricity. It will use high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel. Oklo says the reactor builds on the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) and space reactor legacy. Oklo initially marketed a 1.5 MWe microreactor version of the Aurora but has now expanded its capacity offerings from 15 MWe to 100 MWe.
Unlike traditional nuclear control rooms that require real-time operator actions during normal operations, the Aurora powerhouses are designed to rely on automation and inherent safety features so personnel will be more like monitors than operators. Oklo said the room will support simulation, training, and licensing preparation, which are key components of its commercial readiness strategy.
Oklo and ABB also intend to explore broader collaboration opportunities, including digitalisation, automation, and electrification of future powerhouse sites, as well as joint R&D related to data centre integration and advanced energy systems.
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently accepted Oklo’s Product-Based Operator Licensing Framework Topical Report for review. The report proposes a technology-based licensing framework that departs from the traditional model, where operators are licensed to a single facility and required to be onsite 24/7. Oklo’s approach would enable operators to be licensed for the Aurora powerhouse design itself, allowing them to monitor multiple plants from a central location and move among sites as needed. This strategy leverages the Aurora design’s automation and inherent safety features and aligns with Oklo’s vision for efficient, repeatable deployment.
“As global demand for energy continues to rise, we at ABB support a wide range of low-carbon sources, including nuclear,” said Per Erik Holsten, President of ABB’s Energy Industries. “Innovation and collaboration are essential, and working with companies like Oklo allows us to apply proven technology in ways that strengthen the safe and efficient operation of advanced energy systems.”
Oklo was the first to receive a site use permit from the US Department of Energy (DOE) for a commercial advanced fission plant. It was awarded fuel from Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and submitted the first custom combined licence application for an advanced reactor to NRC. Oklo is also developing advanced fuel recycling technologies in collaboration 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.
