US-based nuclear power and fuel recycling company Oklo has completed borehole drilling for site characterisation work at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) site for its first Aurora Powerhouse.
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. Oklo received a site use permit from the US Department of Energy (DOE) in 2019 to build and operate a prototype reactor at INL, and is engaging with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in a Pre-Application Readiness Assessment for its combined licence application (COLA) for Aurora.
The completed work included the drilling of several boreholes to support comprehensive geotechnical assessments of subsurface conditions. This helps with validating site suitability, informing detailed engineering design, and securing the necessary permits for construction.
“The completion of this drilling campaign highlights our team’s ability to execute through the early stages of site development,” said Jacob DeWitte, co-founder and CEO at Oklo. “With this work completed, we are well-positioned to continue making progress on licensing, infrastructure development, and ultimately, the groundbreaking of our first Aurora Powerhouse.”
The site characterisation phase involved collaboration with leading geotechnical experts to ensure all data collection met regulatory and industry standards. The insights gathered will guide foundation design, seismic safety measures, and other site suitability assessments. These geotechnical analyses will be integrated into Oklo’s COLA application.
