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Oklo’s Groves-1 to Begin Research and Demonstration Phase after being Cleared by U.S. Department of Energy for Unrestricted Operations

OKLO
  • Oklo Inc. received final DOE clearance to transition the Groves Isotope Test Reactor (Groves-1) from a demonstration phase to an operating platform for research, testing, & training.
  • Groves-1 achieved first criticality in August 2026 under the DOE Reactor Pilot Program, becoming the first reactor on private land to do so within the program.
  • The facility reached criticality at low power less than a year after groundbreaking, demonstrating the ability to engineer, construct, authorize, commission, & operate a full nuclear facility.
  • Oklo will use Groves-1 to test capabilities for future isotope reactors & the Aurora fast fission powerhouse while evaluating human-machine interfaces via eye-tracking data.
  • The reactor will serve as a qualification platform for nuclear personnel & support equipment testing including control rod drive mechanism performance & reliability.
  • Operations will enable criticality & reactivity benchmarking to support Oklo's isotope production, engineering models, & potential improvements to light water reactor fuel performance & power output.
  • Groves-1's operating experience will directly inform Groves-2 Forge, a planned isotope production & processing pilot facility selected under the DOE Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative.
  • Groves-2 Forge will integrate reactor irradiation with hot-cell processing capabilities to focus on lutetium-177 for targeted cancer treatments.
  • DOE officials stated that Groves-1's success resets industry expectations for moving from advanced reactor design to demonstration while maintaining safety standards.