DOE Approves Safety Basis for Oklo’s Aurora Reactor at Idaho National Laboratory

Overview

• The DOE Idaho Operations Office approved the Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis for Aurora-INL on Thursday, clearing the reactor’s preliminary safety basis that covers hazard and accident analyses, safety controls, and design commitments.
• The approval advances Aurora through the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program so Oklo can gain early deployment and operating experience at Idaho National Laboratory.
• Aurora-INL will use recovered fuel from the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II and will receive its initial assemblies from Oklo’s Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility, whose PDSA was approved in December 2025.
• The Reactor Pilot Program is working on a compressed timetable that aims to field multiple test reactors at national labs by early July and the DOE has signaled a competing Antares design will reach criticality first.
• Investors reacted positively with Oklo shares rising about 5% in premarket trading and analysts flagged the approval as validation of the safety case while noting ongoing NRC licensing, execution and financing risks.