Oklo has made incredible strides toward developing advanced fission powerhouses on a rapid timescale to provide the world with emission-free, reliable, and affordable energy while reducing nuclear waste.
As a first-mover and leading advanced fission company, we have lined up essential components such as fuel, site, testing, docketed license, and customers to start commercializing our clean energy power plants in the early 2020s.
We hit historic milestones in 2021 and continued to challenge the status quo to bring our innovation to market more quickly and efficiently. Here is a recap of our top 2021 milestones.
1
Oklo awarded a DOE Technology Commercialization Fund Award to commercialize advanced fuel recycling and fabrication capabilities
Oklo was awarded a $2 million cost-share project proposal from the Department of Energy supported by the Technology Commercialization Fund. Oklo is matching $1 million in DOE funding to go to Argonne National Laboratory to commercialize advanced fuel recycling and fabrication.
This work on recycling existing nuclear waste makes use of the incredible energy left in the waste and will reduce costs for fuel. Because fission’s fuel is millions of times more energy-dense than alternatives, fission is a key enabler to deliver the cheapest forms of clean power available to humanity.
This public-private partnership is an excellent example of how the government and national labs can play the right role in enabling commercial opportunities and help bring next-generation fission to market.
2
Oklo submitted public reports detailing innovative foundational methods for licensing advanced fission technologies
Oklo submitted two licensing methodology reports to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The reports represent a crystallization of the methodologies inherent in our combined license application (COLA), as well as an example for performance-based regulatory work currently occurring, and the reports could serve as a helpful open-source resource for others.
In short, we had to develop two foundational methods with the NRC for analyzing these new technologies and new powerhouse operations. These have to do with (1) how safety is analyzed with regard to extreme events, and (2) how safety is ensured, from design to construction to operation throughout the life of the plant.
Oklo’s methods are made open-sourced because we believe supporting decarbonization as we deploy clean, reliable, scalable fission power. We are confident that these reports will facilitate NRC’s effort to meet its Congressional mandates to enable new technologies to become licensed and deployed.
Reuters featured our licensing work and how our methodology reports can help clear path for a whole new generation of power plants.
3
20-Year commercial partnership to launch advanced fission-powered bitcoin mining
Oklo and Compass secure a 20-year partnership for 150MW in advanced fission-powered Bitcoin mining.
We are excited to partner with Compass related to both mining as well as providing power. In addition, a site and total power agnostic customer like Compass will enable Oklo to maximize power off-take with every site, making the cost for power more economical.
This announcement is a reminder that Oklo’s commercialization of advanced fission is happening now. Our powerhouses will provide clean, reliable, and affordable baseload power for Compass’ Bitcoin mining machines in coming years.
Oklo’s business model is to own and operate our plants and sell power to customers through power purchase agreements. We believe in making it as simple as possible for communities that wants this type of reliable, clean power as part of its grid. This is not just about our first Aurora size, either. We are designing and plan to build a wide range of fission power plants, including small and large designs. See our partnership coverage from the Wall Street Journal.
4
Oklo teams up with Centrus to produce U.S.-based fuel supply to support the commercialization of advanced fission
Oklo announced a partnership with Centrus to produce U.S.-based advanced fission fuel supply.
Starting in the early 2020s, Oklo will begin to deploy and commercialize a suite of advanced fission power plants. The fuel material awarded by Idaho National Laboratory is anticipated to fuel Oklo’s first power plant, and Oklo’s near-term power plant deployment is anticipated to be fueled by Centrus.
5
Recognized on a global stage at the Hello Tomorrow Global Summit
France recently announced its investment in advanced fission as a part of its Innovation Plan. As the leading advanced fission company, Oklo was invited to join the global stage in Paris to share our vision to commercialize advanced fission on a rapid timescale with the international audience.
Energizing our clean energy future
Oklo has set the exciting precedent necessary to not only Oklo but the future viability of advanced fission.
We are motivated by a sheer love of fission technology and what it can enable. We are excited to put humankind on the path for making clean energy while reducing nuclear waste.
We will be turning on our plants to power our clean energy future in no time. Thank you for your support and for following us on this journey!
