Oklo’s Atomic Alchemy Granted U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission License for Isotope Material

Key Terms

u.s. nuclear regulatory commission regulatory

A federal agency that licenses, inspects and enforces safety rules for civilian nuclear power plants and other uses of radioactive materials in the United States. Think of it as the official safety inspector and rulemaker for the nuclear industry—its approvals, inspections, fines and rule changes can speed up or delay projects, change operating costs, and alter legal and financial risk, so its actions directly affect companies’ prospects and investor value.

materials license regulatory

A materials license is an official permit that lets a business possess, use, store or transport regulated physical substances—such as radioactive sources, hazardous chemicals, or certain biological materials—under specified safety and reporting rules. For investors, it matters because holding the right license is often a legal prerequisite for certain operations; losing or failing to obtain one can halt production, trigger fines, or increase costs, similar to how a driver’s license is required to legally operate a vehicle.

sealed sources technical

Sealed sources are people, documents, or records whose identities or contents are officially kept hidden from the public, often by court order or regulatory rule. For investors, sealed sources matter because they create information gaps—like a folder locked away in a file cabinet—that can hide material facts or risks and increase uncertainty about a company’s legal, financial, or regulatory situation.

targeted alpha therapy medical

A cancer treatment that attaches tiny, highly energetic bits of radiation called alpha particles to a molecule that seeks out tumor cells, delivering a powerful, localized dose much like a guided missile hitting only its target. Investors care because it can offer strong anti-tumor effects with fewer whole-body side effects than traditional radiation, creating significant commercial upside, clinical and regulatory risks, and clear milestones that affect company value.

curies technical

Curie is a unit that measures how “active” a radioactive material is — essentially how many atomic decays occur each second (one curie equals about 37 billion decays per second). For investors, curies signal the scale and handling requirements of radioactive products or waste: higher curie amounts affect manufacturing capacity, safety controls, shipping rules, regulatory approvals and potential liabilities, much like watts indicate how much power an electrical device produces and what infrastructure is needed.

versatile isotope production reactor (vipr) technical

A versatile isotope production reactor (VIPR) is a small, purpose-built nuclear reactor designed to make a range of radioactive atoms used in medical imaging, cancer treatments, and industrial tests. It matters to investors because these reactors help ensure a steady supply of high-value medical isotopes—similar to a factory that produces parts for hospitals—supporting recurring revenues, reducing supply-chain risk, and potentially benefiting companies involved in reactor operations, isotope processing, and distribution.

light-water-cooled technical

A light-water-cooled system uses ordinary (non‑enriched) water to carry heat away from a reactor and often to slow down neutrons that sustain the chain reaction; it is the most common cooling approach in commercial nuclear plants. For investors, the choice of light‑water cooling signals established technology with mature supply chains, predictable operating costs and regulatory paths—like investing in a tried‑and‑true car model rather than an experimental prototype, which affects project risk, timelines and financing.

pool-type reactor technical

A pool-type reactor is a small nuclear reactor where the core and fuel sit at the bottom of a clear, water-filled pool that both cools and shields the reactor, like a hot appliance submerged in a bathtub to keep it from overheating and to block radiation. Investors care because these reactors have different safety profiles, licensing needs, operating costs, and revenue opportunities (for example, producing medical isotopes), so they affect project risk, regulatory timelines, and potential returns.

The license supports domestic capability to recover and prepare isotope materials used across medicine, research, advanced manufacturing, and national security, and enables Atomic Alchemy to begin initial commercial sales from its Idaho Radiochemistry Laboratory.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Oklo Inc., (NYSE: OKLO) (Oklo), an advanced nuclear technology company, today announced that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a materials license to Oklo’s wholly owned subsidiary Atomic Alchemy to handle, process, and distribute isotopes. This is Oklo’s first NRC-issued license and supports the transition from design and planning to real-world execution and progress.

Oklo's Atomic Alchemy receives license to acquire, receive, store, process, refine, and distribute isotopes from its Radiochemistry Laboratory in Idaho Falls. (Image: Oklo)

The license, granted to Atomic Alchemy after NRC review and onsite inspection of the Idaho facility, authorizes the company to receive, possess, use, store, and conduct chemical and/or mechanical processing, repackaging, manufacturing, and distribution activities involving up to 2 Curies (Cis) of Ra-226. It also authorizes possession, use, and storage of sealed sources of Co-60 and Am-241 for instrument and shield calibration and testing. By recovering and processing material such as disused radium sources, currently managed as waste, Atomic Alchemy expects to create a valuable feedstock to support medical isotope production, including targeted alpha therapy supply chains.

“Demand for critical isotopes is rising, but U.S. supply remains limited,” says Oklo CEO and co-founder Jacob DeWitte. “This work helps create a more resilient and dependable domestic supply chain of isotopes and supports the transition from early operations to durable, commercial isotope production in the United States.”

The isotopes will be received and processed at Atomic Alchemy’s Idaho Radiochemistry Laboratory in Idaho Falls. Distribution activities are limited to appropriately authorized recipients consistent with NRC requirements.

Operating experience from the laboratory will help develop processes, procedures, and systems that can be applied to Atomic Alchemy’s planned multi-reactor isotope foundry. The foundry is planned to include up to four non-power Versatile Isotope Production Reactor (VIPR) systems with a capacity of around 15 MWth each. The light-water-cooled, pool-type reactor is intended to support production of isotopes for medical and healthcare, industrial, space, defense, and research applications.

About Oklo Inc.: Oklo Inc. is developing fast-fission power plants to deliver clean, reliable, affordable energy at global scale; establishing a domestic supply chain for critical radioisotopes; and advancing nuclear fuel recycling to convert used nuclear fuel into clean energy. Oklo was the first to receive a site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy for a commercial advanced fission plant, was awarded fuel from Idaho National Laboratory, and submitted the first custom combined license application for an advanced reactor to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Oklo is also developing advanced fuel recycling technologies in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. National Laboratories.

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Investor Contact:
Sam Doane, Senior Director of Investor Relations at investors@oklo.com

Source: Oklo Inc.