Fission power and nuclear fuel recycling company Oklo has secured an environmental compliance permit from the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for its fission power plant site in the US.

The permit allows Oklo to progress with its plans to launch the first commercial advanced fission power plant in the US.

The company noted that this announcement comes after the recent finalisation of a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the DOE, marking the beginning of site characterisation activities.

It also follows the DOE's approval of Oklo’s Conceptual Safety Design Report for the Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility, which will recycle nuclear material at INL to supply fuel for the Aurora power plant.

Oklo co-founder and CEO Jacob DeWitte said: “These approvals represent pivotal steps forward as we advance toward deploying the first commercial advanced fission plant.

“With this process complete, we can begin site characterisation. Our unique business model of selling power directly to customers rather than power plants, combined with our early mover advantage, positions us to respond to a growing order book effectively and meet diverse energy needs across data centres, industrial processes, defence, and off-grid communities.”

In August, Oklo reached a preferred supplier agreement with Germany’s Siemens Energy.

The agreement aimed at providing power conversion systems for Oklo’s Aurora powerhouse, supporting Oklo’s objective of efficiently commercialising advanced fission technology.

The deal builds on an earlier memorandum of understanding, marking a significant milestone for Oklo as it seeks to boost production scalability, cost efficiency, and rapid deployment to meet growing customer demand.

Under the contract, Siemens Energy agrees to provide its power conversion and supporting systems, which are expected to drive efficiencies through economies of scale.