Oklo signs contract with Siemens for Aurora project at INL

An agreement for engineering and design work has been signed on a project for a reactor to be located at Idaho National Laboratory.

Oklo, Inc., a company building its first advanced nuclear reactor dubbed the Aurora powerhouse at INL, signed an agreement with Munich, Germany-based Siemens Energy to design a power conversion system for the Aurora project.

According to a release from Oklo, the agreement allows Siemens to begin the engineering and design work “to expedite procurement of long-lead components and initiate the manufacturing process for the power conversion system.”

The companies will work together to use Oklo’s advanced fission technology and Siemens’ steam turbine and generator systems to create and “deliver clean reliable electricity using proven industrial equipment.”

“Siemens Energy and Oklo will develop the best solution for power supply,” said Tobias Panse, senior vice president of steam turbines and generators for Siemens Energy. “We offer best-in-class solutions for reliable power supply with the highest efficiency. Oklo’s small modular reactor solutions are ideal for companies with large power demand. This agreement brings our partnership to life.”

Alex Renner, Oklo’s chief product officer, expressed similar enthusiasm over the agreement.

“We are thrilled to be working with Siemens Energy, a global industry leader and key strategic partner, to bring the Aurora powerhouse online,” Renner said. “Aurora’s inherent safety allows us to use proven, commercially available power systems like Siemens Energy’s turbine technology. That design philosophy shortens timelines, lowers costs, and turns advanced nuclear into a deployable product.”

Siemens will work on engineering and layout for a SST-600 steam turbine, an SGen-100A industrial generator and “associated auxiliaries to support the Oklo Aurora project, according to Oklo. The power conversion system is one of many needed procurements for Aurora to begin operations. Siemens is providing the conversion, while Oklo has procured the fuel and site for operations.

“We believe this is a historic step forward for the advanced nuclear industry—a real-world purchase that demonstrates progress toward deployment and operation,” Renner said.