California-based Oklo Inc. has signed a memorandum of understanding with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power to collaborate on the development and global deployment of its next-generation nuclear technology.
The company obtained a site permit from the Department of Energy in 2019, along with fuel from Idaho National Laboratory, and it is already advancing through the licensing process for its 75-megawatt Aurora powerhouse project.
While that site is expected to go online by 2030, there are additional projects in the pipeline for Oklo's nuclear technology exceeding 14 gigawatts, and the partnership with KHNP will help accelerate those through to completion.
"Partnering with KHNP, one of the most accomplished nuclear builders in the world, who have been building nuclear power plants continuously since 1971, offers meaningful opportunities to align on key execution factors such as manufacturability, constructability, and supply chain development," Jacob DeWitte, co-founder and CEO of Oklo, said in a press release.
"Their experience in delivering projects at scale can complement our efforts and help us move more efficiently toward commercialization and the ability to build future powerhouses faster."
Nuclear fission — the process of splitting atoms to produce energy — has been used in the U.S. for decades. There are 93 nuclear reactors producing 20% of the total electricity used in the country, and they account for 50% of the nation's clean energy generation.
Oklo is developing fast-reactor technology, which uses liquid sodium, lead, or other coolants to remove the heat created by the nuclear fission process.
All commercial reactors currently running in the U.S. are light water reactors (LWRs), which means that they use regular H₂O to cool down nuclear fuel rods, according to an Argonne National Laboratory report.
That water slows down neutrons, whereas fast reactors allow them to maintain high speeds, hence the name.
Those fast-moving neutrons make fast reactors up to 60 times more efficient, allowing them to extract far more energy from the same amount of mined uranium compared to LWRs, thereby reducing the need for additional raw materials.
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Which of these factors would most effectively convince you to support nuclear energy projects in your area? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Lower energy bills 💸 One of the unique aspects of fast reactors is that they can reuse nuclear fuel and ultimately create more fuel than they consume, reducing waste. They can even use old fuel that's been stored from older reactor technologies that have been decommissioned.
"Our fast reactor design benefits from robust inherent safety performance. The reactor is self-stabilizing, self-controlling, and cooled by natural forces. This means the plant is walk-away safe, and the technology that enables this has been demonstrated at scale," Oklo explained on its website.
Nuclear power has been a pillar of clean energy production for decades and serves as a complement to other sustainable sources such as hydro, solar, and wind.
Some data center projects are counting on nuclear energy to sustain their power-hungry operations.
"Currently operating U.S. nuclear reactors work really well, but we want to do things even better, especially regarding resource sustainability and waste management," said Bo Feng, national technical director of U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy Fast Reactor Program and manager of DOE's Argonne National Laboratory's Reactor and Fuel Cycle Analysis Group.
"Fast reactors will play a crucial role in reducing our country's carbon footprint while minimizing nuclear waste."
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