goingcritical:oklo-aurora-inlUnited States · SMR
Oklo Aurora-INL
Status: Under construction Reactor status full glossary → Announced Publicly announced — a site and design are proposed, but construction has not begun. Site preparation Early site and civil works are under way; the first safety-related ("nuclear") concrete has not yet been poured. Under construction Formal construction has begun, marked by the first nuclear concrete. Fuel loaded Nuclear fuel has been loaded into the core. The reactor is fuelled but has not yet gone critical. Critical Has reached first criticality — a self-sustaining chain reaction, usually at low power — but is not yet connected to the grid. Grid connected Synchronised to the electrical grid and exporting power for the first time, but still in commissioning and power-ascension testing — not yet in commercial service. In commercial operation — the operator has formally declared the unit in regular commercial service. Shut down Permanently shut down and no longer generating; may be defuelled, undergoing decommissioning, or preserved in place. Canceled Abandoned before completion.
Site: Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho
Oklo's first Aurora Powerhouse deployment; broke ground at INL September 2025 with Kiewit
No company-stated criticality date as of July 2026; DOE approved PDSA June 11, 2026
Details
| Design | Aurora Powerhouse — liquid-metal-cooled, metal-fueled fast reactor |
| Electrical output | 75 MWe |
Milestone history
- Announced August 12, 2025
- Construction start September 2025
- Fuel load —
- First criticality —
- Grid connection —
- Commercial operation —