Oklo Receives DOE Approval Of Its Documented Safety Analysis For The Groves Isotope Test Reactor In Texas

The DSA is the facility’s final safety basis grounded on a detailed technical analysis of potential hazards, safety controls, and operating requirements needed to support safe startup.

The DSA approval follows DOE’s approval of the Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis (PDSA), which established the facility’s preliminary safety basis during design and construction.

With both the PDSA and DSA approved, Groves moves from the documentation phase into DOE’s final pre-startup review.

The remaining steps are DOE’s readiness review and startup approval.

Following startup approval, the facility will be authorized to receive and load nuclear fuel, conduct startup testing, and proceed toward first criticality, the point at which a reactor achieves a controlled, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.

Oklo is targeting first criticality for Groves in July 2026.

Groves supports the development of Oklo’s isotope business and helps establish a stronger domestic supply chain for critical isotopes used in cancer diagnosis and treatment, advanced manufacturing, scientific research, space exploration, and national security applications.

Many important isotopes are currently sourced from overseas suppliers or produced in aging facilities, creating supply risks for U.S. hospitals, industry, researchers, and government users.

By starting with a pilot facility, Oklo’s isotopes business has developed operating procedures, evaluated reactor system performance, will validate production processes, and build dependable domestic isotope production at commercial scale in the US.