US nuclear company will use Prometheus platform
US advanced nuclear technology company Oklo has announced a partnership with Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA), the management and operating contractor for Idaho National Laboratory (INL), to use AI technologies to accelerate advanced reactor and fuel-system design work.
The partnership is part of a National Nuclear Security Administration project which gives partners access to specialised national laboratory expertise and facilities.
Oklo aims to use AI-enabled engineering workflows, modelling, simulation and technical documentation to bolster conceptual design work for its Pluto reactor system.
Under the project, Oklo and INL will integrate the Prometheus AI platform with Oklo’s multiphysics design and analysis infrastructure to streamline engineering workflows and support development of Pluto, Oklo’s reactor system designed to use plutonium-bearing fuels.
The Prometheus AI platform was developed by INL to accelerate advanced reactor and fuel system design workflows.
The Pluto reactor is a part of Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program, which helps fast-track commercial licensing.
“This work brings together advanced reactor design, AI-enabled engineering tools, and INL’s deep technical expertise,” said Jacob DeWitte, Oklo’s co-founder and chief executive officer.
“Applying AI to reactor design workflows can accelerate development, improve engineering efficiency, and support progress on advanced systems, including on Oklo’s Pluto reactor.”
Oklo is developing fast fission power plants including the Pluto, a fast test reactor project, and the Aurora, a fast reactor designed to produce up to 75 MW of clean electricity and heat. It will operate on Haleu (high-assay low-enriched uranium) or recycled nuclear fuel.
The California-based company, which is backed by OpenAI founder Sam Altman, aims to begin commercial operation of its first Aurora plant in 2028.
