The U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho Operations Office approved the Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis (PDSA) for Oklo Inc.’s Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility (A3F) at the Idaho National Laboratory on December 16, 2025, clearing a critical regulatory hurdle and enabling the facility’s assembly to begin.
The approval is the second of three safety‑basis documents required for the A3F, following the earlier Nuclear Safety Design Agreement. With the PDSA in place, Oklo can advance fuel fabrication and plant construction under the DOE Reactor Pilot Program, moving the company closer to its first commercial‑scale Aurora reactor.
Oklo’s strategy to repurpose legacy Experimental Breeder Reactor‑II (EBR‑II) fuel for its Aurora‑INL reactor addresses supply constraints and improves economics. The facility will support the company’s first commercial reactor, targeted for commercial operation in late 2027 or early 2028.
CEO Jacob DeWitte said that advancing modern fuel fabrication and recycling will open new revenue streams and strengthen the domestic supply chain for critical radioisotopes. The milestone signals progress toward Oklo’s goal of delivering clean, reliable energy at scale.
The PDSA approval also marks the first facility approved under the DOE Fuel Line Pilot Program, underscoring Oklo’s role in a government initiative to accelerate advanced nuclear technology development. The milestone is expected to accelerate the Aurora reactor timeline and enhance investor confidence in Oklo’s long‑term growth prospects.
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