US picks five firms to negotiate plutonium fuel conversion

The United States has selected five companies for advanced negotiations to potentially convert surplus Cold War-era plutonium into fuel for next-generation nuclear reactors, marking a significant shift in the management of former weapons material. The Department of Energy announced the move this week under its Surplus Plutonium Utilization Program.

The companies entering negotiations are Oklo Inc., Exodus Energy, Shine Technologies, Standard Nuclear, and Valar Atomics. All are privately held firms focused on advanced nuclear technologies. The initiative could make approximately 20 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium, extracted from dismantled nuclear warheads, available for commercial use.

Officials said the program aims to broaden domestic nuclear fuel supplies, spur innovation in recycling technologies, and attract private sector investment to support a growing nuclear energy sector. The radioactive material, which has a half-life of approximately 24,000 years, is currently stored in heavily secured facilities in states including South Carolina, Texas, and New Mexico.

The effort follows an order last May by President Donald Trump to halt large parts of a government program...