Trump administration wants nuclear startups to use plutonium for their reactors

Trump administration wants nuclear startups to use plutonium for their reactors">

For decades, the US has grappled with a significant plutonium problem, amassing around 100 tons of the highly radioactive material during the Cold War era to fuel powerful atomic bombs. As nuclear stockpiles were dismantled, the government was left to store the material in high-security facilities. The Department of Energy announced on Tuesday that it has chosen five nuclear startups to enter into advanced negotiations to receive a portion of the plutonium, which could potentially be used to power a new generation of nuclear reactors.

The Department previously identified 34 tons of plutonium for disposal. The selected startups include Oklo, Standard Nuclear, Shine Technologies, Flibe Energy, and Exodys Energy. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who previously sat on Oklo's board, resigned and divested his shares upon joining the administration.

Oklo's board chair, Sam Altman, also resigned from his position last year following the company's merger with his acquisition company, AltC. Oklo is currently developing a reactor capable of running on traditional uranium fuel as well as plutonium, which would help fuel its first reactors. Other startups, such as Exodys Energy, are working on reactors that can operate using mixed oxide fuel, or MOX, which blends uranium with plutonium.

Flibe Energy is also developing a reactor that would run on plutonium and other by-products of fission reactors. However, not everyone is convinced that this plan is a good idea. Scott Roecker, a vice president at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, expressed concerns over the security risks associated with handling plutonium obtained from nuclear weapons, stating that it would be better to dispose of it permanently.

The next step for the startups is to engage in advanced negotiations with the government over security and the transportation of the plutonium. While MOX is currently produced in France, the US had previously canceled a project to produce it in South Carolina due to budget and timeline issues. One of Oklo's partners, UK-based Newcleo, plans to build its own MOX fuel fabrication facility nearby.