US selects potential partners for nuclear fuel project

US Government Announces Plan to Provide Plutonium as Nuclear Reactor Fuel

The US Department of Energy has selected five companies, including Oklo, to engage in advanced talks regarding the potential use of surplus plutonium from dismantled nuclear warheads as a fuel source for nuclear reactors. The announcement was made on Tuesday.

According to the department, the selected companies will be provided with approximately 20 metric tonnes of plutonium, which has a half-life of 24,000 years and requires special handling precautions. Oklo plans to collaborate with newcleo, a European company aiming to develop high-tech nuclear reactors, to develop the fuel.

The Energy Department holds surplus US plutonium at heavily guarded facilities in states such as South Carolina, Texas, and New Mexico. The plan was first reported by Reuters last year, stating that the Trump administration intended to make the plutonium available to US power companies.

In a letter sent to the agency in September, Senator Edward Markey and Representatives Don Beyer and John Garamendi expressed concerns about the plan, citing potential weapons proliferation risks and economic unsustainability. The department has stated that the Surplus Plutonium Utilization Program aims to help companies secure private funding.

The selected companies include Oklo, Exodys Energy, SHINE Technologies, Standard Nuclear, and Flibe Energy. Newcleo’s CEO, Stefano Buono, noted that using plutonium as fuel would reduce US nuclear liabilities. The department has not commented on the safety measures to be implemented for handling the materials.

The five companies will engage in advanced talks regarding the potential use of the surplus plutonium as a fuel source for nuclear reactors.

Source: Al Jazeera