Nuclear Startups Get Chances to Turn Cold War Plutonium Waste into Power
The U.S. Department of Energy has selected five startups to negotiate the use of leftover Cold War-era plutonium, potentially turning nuclear waste into a clean energy resource.
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For decades, the U.S. has struggled with the aftermath of its Cold War nuclear weapons programs, left with around 100 tons of plutonium that was once used in atomic bombs but is now considered a dangerous stockpile. Now, the Department of Energy (DOE) is looking to turn this radioactive waste into a potential clean energy resource by partnering with private-sector nuclear startups.
On Tuesday, the DOE announced it has selected five companies to enter negotiations for using some of this plutonium in their reactors: Oklo, Standard Nuclear, Shine Technologies, Flibe Energy, and Exodys Energy. The goal is to transform what was once a security hazard into a renewable energy source.
These startups are exploring various ways to utilize the plutonium:
- Oklo: Developing reactors that can run on both traditional uranium and plutonium, with plans for its first reactors using the latter as fuel.
- Exodys Energy: Working on a reactor design capable of operating with plutonium in mixed oxide (MOX) fuel, which mixes uranium with plutonium to make it more stable.
- Flibe Energy: Focused on reactors that can run on plutonium and other by-products from fission reactors. The company is collaborating with Newcleo, a U.K.-based firm, to build its own MOX fuel fabrication facility nearby.
The move comes after the DOE previously identified 34 tons of plutonium for disposal. While some may see this as an innovative solution to nuclear waste management, others are wary due to security concerns related to using materials from decommissioned weapons.
Scott Roecker, a vice president at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, told The New York Times that previous attempts to use plutonium for energy faced significant challenges. He said, “Countries have tried this before, and they concluded that, as nice as it would be to use that plutonium as fuel, it’s really just a liability and we need to dispose of it permanently.”
For the selected startups, the next phase involves detailed negotiations with the government regarding security measures and transportation logistics for handling this sensitive material. This could pave the way for a new era in nuclear energy, where Cold War leftovers are repurposed into clean power sources.
