Oklo stock rises on strategic partnerships for nuclear fuel production

Investing.com -- Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO) stock rose 4.1% following the company’s announcement of strategic collaborations aimed at accelerating domestic production of High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU), a critical fuel for advanced nuclear reactors.

The advanced nuclear technology company has partnered with Hexium, TerraPower, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to evaluate Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS) technology for commercial-scale uranium enrichment. The collaboration addresses what many industry experts consider the most pressing obstacle to scaling next-generation nuclear energy in the United States - the lack of domestic HALEU supply.

The Department of Energy projects a need for up to 40 metric tons of HALEU annually by the early 2030s, while only about 700 kilograms have been produced domestically since 2023. This partnership aims to develop a validated conceptual design and technoeconomic assessment of AVLIS-based HALEU production.

"Building a secure domestic fuel supply is a national priority. This effort supports the U.S. goal of expanding HALEU production through innovative technologies and private-sector partnerships," said Jacob DeWitte, co-founder and CEO of Oklo.

Unlike traditional centrifuge-based approaches, AVLIS uses lasers to selectively ionize uranium isotopes, potentially enabling more precise and energy-efficient enrichment. The technology’s compact design eliminates the need for chemical conversion to uranium hexafluoride, which could simplify the enrichment process and reduce infrastructure complexity.

The initiative aligns with recent Department of Energy efforts to quadruple nuclear power in the United States by 2050 and revitalize America’s nuclear fuel infrastructure.

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