US-based Zeno Power and Orano USA have signed a strategic agreement to secure a reliable supply of americium-241 (Am-241) from Orano’s used nuclear fuel recycling operations. Under the agreement, Zeno will make a multi-million-dollar investment to obtain priority access to large quantities of Am-241 each year from Orano’s La Hague recycling site in Normandy, France.
Zeno and Orano have worked together since 2022 to explore industrial production of Am-241 powder at the La Hague site, commissioning a feasibility study to evaluate technical, economic, and logistical pathways. This new agreement demonstrates the growing market demand for Am-241. It is an attractive fuel source for space nuclear batteries because of its long half-life of more than 430 years, enabling power systems to last for decades. It is also produced naturally through the decay of other isotopes found in used nuclear fuel. Am-241 will fuel Zeno’s space nuclear batteries, also known as radioisotope power systems (RPS), designed to support missions to the moon and beyond.
Historically, RPSs in space have used plutonium-238 (Pu-238) as a fuel source, but its limited global supply and the rising demand for reliable space power have accelerated the search for alternatives. Am-241 offers a sustainable supplement to Pu-238, expanding the fuel options for long-duration space nuclear power. Zeno is currently developing an americium-fuelled RPS for NASA to power lunar rovers, landers, and infrastructure on the Moon.
Zeno Power, founded in 2018, is a leading developer of nuclear batteries. By harnessing the heat from radioisotopes, Zeno’s batteries power critical missions on Earth, in space, and at sea. Zeno has secured more than $60m in US government contracts with NASA and the Department of Defense (DOD). Zeno recently closed its $50m Series B round, and is backed by leading venture capital firms.,
The agreement with Orano secures Am-241 for Zeno’s space nuclear batteries while advancing Zeno’s broader strategy to build a robust nuclear fuel supply chain. In parallel, Zeno is developing strontium-fuelled nuclear batteries for maritime applications under a DOD contract. Access to Am-241 through Orano complements Zeno’s existing Sr-90 supply from the Department of Energy.
“Working with Orano is a pivotal step in advancing Zeno’s multi-fuel approach,” said Zeno Power Co-Founder & CEO Tyler Bernstein. “By pairing americium-241 for space missions with strontium-90 for maritime and terrestrial deployments, Zeno’s nuclear batteries will unlock operations in the frontier, from deep sea to deep space.”
Corinne Spilios, Senior Executive Vice President of Orano’s Recycling Business Unit said the work with Zeno demonstrates one of the significant values of recycling used nuclear fuel. “By recovering americium-241, we can gain value from material once designated as waste by retrieving and using one of the isotopes for an advanced application such as space power systems. This agreement once again demonstrates the value of recycling recoverable nuclear materials, which allows for energy production while conserving natural resources.”
Jean-Luc Palayer, CEO of Orano USA said Am-241 represents a powerful opportunity to demonstrate the real-world value of used nuclear fuel recycling. “Our collaboration with Zeno shows how industrial-scale recovery of valuable isotopes can create entirely new markets and enable innovative ideas to become reality. As we like to say: ‘It’s only waste if you waste it’.”
