Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO) announced that the US Department of Energy (DOE) has cleared the final operations hold point for its Groves Isotope Test Reactor (Groves-1) in Lockhart, Texas, allowing the facility to proceed with research, testing and personnel training activities.
The clearance follows the reactor’s achievement of first criticality in August 2026 under the DOE Reactor Pilot Program. Groves-1 became the first reactor participating in the programme to reach criticality on privately owned land.
The reactor achieved initial criticality at low power less than one year after construction began.
With the final operational restriction lifted, Oklo plans to use Groves-1 to evaluate reactor technologies, collect operational data and support workforce preparation for future nuclear facilities.
The company also intends to apply experience gained from Groves-1 to its planned Groves-2 Forge isotope production and processing facility.
The DOE’s clearance of the final operations hold point permits Groves-1 to move into its next operational phase.
The reactor will support research, testing and training activities associated with Oklo’s nuclear technology development programmes.
Groves-1 is located in Lockhart, Texas, and was developed under the DOE Reactor Pilot Program.
The facility reached first criticality in August 2026, marking the beginning of a controlled nuclear chain reaction.
According to Oklo, the reactor achieved this milestone at low power within one year of groundbreaking.
The latest DOE clearance allows the company to expand operational activities beyond the restrictions previously associated with the final hold point.
Oklo plans to use the facility to collect technical and operational information relevant to its broader reactor development activities.
Oklo intends to use Groves-1 to evaluate technologies and operational capabilities relevant to both its isotope reactor systems and its Aurora powerhouse fast fission reactors.
The company’s testing activities will focus on reactor performance, operational controls and information that can be incorporated into future designs.
Groves-1 will provide an operating environment for evaluating selected components and procedures before their potential application at other nuclear facilities.
The company expects the resulting data to inform engineering and operational decisions across its reactor development programmes.
The research activities are also intended to support the qualification of personnel involved in future reactor operations.
Oklo did not provide a specific timetable for completing the planned testing programme in the supplied announcement.
Testing activities already underway at Groves-1 include assessments of control rod drive mechanism performance.
Control rods are used to regulate nuclear reactions by controlling neutron absorption within a reactor.
The drive mechanisms that position these rods are therefore important components of reactor control systems.
Oklo is evaluating their performance as part of its operational testing programme.
The company also reported the use of eye-tracking technology during a recent reactor startup.
Operators wore eye-tracking glasses to collect information about their visual attention and interactions with reactor controls.
The data will be used to assess the facility’s human-machine interface and inform future design decisions.
These activities form part of Oklo’s efforts to incorporate operating experience and personnel feedback into subsequent reactor systems.
Groves-1 will also be used for criticality and reactivity benchmarking.
These activities involve collecting and evaluating information about reactor behaviour under controlled operating conditions.
Criticality benchmarking can provide data for comparing observed reactor performance with engineering calculations and analytical models.
Reactivity measurements help assess how changes in operating conditions affect the nuclear chain reaction.
Oklo stated that the resulting information could contribute to understanding fuel performance and power output in both small and large light water reactors.
The company intends to use the research results to support technical evaluations relevant to reactor development.
The supplied announcement did not identify specific benchmarking results or quantify expected performance improvements.
In addition to research and technology testing, Groves-1 will serve as a training and qualification platform for nuclear personnel.
Oklo plans to use the operating reactor to provide experience relevant to future nuclear facility deployments.
The training activities will allow personnel to work with reactor operating procedures, control systems and associated technical processes.
The company expects the facility to contribute to workforce preparation as it advances its reactor development programmes.
Operating experience gathered at Groves-1 may also be incorporated into future training procedures and qualification requirements.
Oklo did not disclose the number of personnel expected to participate or provide a schedule for individual training programmes.
Oklo intends to apply operational information from Groves-1 to the development of Groves-2 Forge, a planned isotope production and processing pilot facility.
Groves-2 Forge has been selected under the DOE’s Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative.
The proposed facility will focus on isotope production and processing activities, initially targeting lutetium-177.
Lutetium-177 is a radioactive isotope used in certain targeted cancer treatments.
The planned facility is intended to integrate reactor irradiation with downstream isotope processing operations.
These activities will include hot-cell processing, isotope separation, product recovery, packaging and transportation.
Hot cells provide shielded environments for handling radioactive materials during processing and preparation.
The integration of these activities is intended to support the production and handling of medical isotopes within a coordinated facility.
Oklo did not provide a commissioning date or expected production capacity for Groves-2 Forge in the supplied announcement.
Oklo Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Jacob DeWitte commented on the development and initial operation of Groves-1.
“Taking Groves-1 from greenfield to criticality in less than a year was an important demonstration of what our team can accomplish,” DeWitte said.
The statement followed the reactor’s achievement of first criticality in August and the subsequent clearance of its final operational hold point.
The company identified the development timeline as part of its experience under the DOE Reactor Pilot Program.
Oklo now plans to use the facility for ongoing testing, personnel training and the collection of operational data.
The information obtained will be considered in the development of additional nuclear technologies and facilities.
Chimi Zacot, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Reactors, commented on the progress achieved under the DOE Reactor Pilot Program.
Zacot said the programme “reset the nuclear industry’s expectations for how quickly we can move from advanced reactor design to demonstration while upholding best-in-class safety standards.”
The comments relate to the programme’s approach to demonstrating reactor technologies and progressing projects through development milestones.
Groves-1 reached criticality less than a year after groundbreaking and has now received clearance to undertake its planned research and training activities.
The facility’s development represents one example of the activities being carried out under the federal programme.
The final DOE operations clearance enables Oklo to proceed with the next phase of activities at Groves-1.
The company plans to conduct reactor technology testing, criticality benchmarking and workforce training while collecting data relevant to future nuclear facilities.
Research already underway includes control rod drive mechanism evaluations and studies of operator interactions with reactor controls.
The facility is also expected to provide technical and operational information for Oklo’s Aurora fast fission reactor development and planned isotope production operations.
Groves-2 Forge will represent a separate stage of the company’s isotope activities, with an initial focus on lutetium-177 production and processing.
The latest milestone concerns the operational clearance of Groves-1 and does not establish a commercial production timetable for the company’s other planned reactor facilities.
Future updates will provide further information on testing results, personnel qualification activities and progress towards additional nuclear development milestones.
Oklo stock price
| 1 hour | |
| 1 hour | |
| 2 hours | |
| 4 hours | |
| Nov-09 | |
| Nov-06 | |
| Nov-06 | |
| Nov-06 | |
| Nov-06 | |
| Nov-06 | |
| Nov-06 | |
| Nov-06 | |
| Nov-03 | |
| Nov-03 | |
| Oct-29 |
Join thousands of traders who make more informed decisions with our premium features. Real-time quotes, advanced visualizations, alerts, and much more.
Learn more about Finviz Elite