The US Department of Energy (DOE) has cleared the final operational hurdle for Oklo’s Groves Isotope Test Reactor. The decision allows the advanced nuclear company to begin unrestricted research, testing, and staff training at the Texas site.

Known as Groves-1, the facility will now serve as a proving ground for future isotope production and Oklo’s commercial fast-fission reactors, called Aurora powerhouses.

“Taking Groves-1 from greenfield to criticality in less than a year was an important demonstration of what our team can accomplish,” said Oklo CEO and co-founder Jacob DeWitte. “Now we’re building on that experience by operating the reactor, testing new capabilities, and learning directly from the work.”

DeWitte added that these practical lessons will help develop the teams and systems needed for upcoming projects.

With full authorization in place, Oklo will use the reactor to train operators and evaluate critical hardware. During a recent startup, staff wore eye-tracking glasses to record what they looked at and for how long. Engineers will use this data to improve the facility’s human-machine interface and design better control rooms for future plants.

Teams will also run ongoing tests to measure the reliability of control rod drive mechanisms. Beyond hardware, the reactor will support criticality and reactivity benchmarking. These measurements will validate Oklo’s engineering models and could help improve fuel performance and power output across existing light water reactors.

Experience gained at Groves-1 will directly shape Groves-2 Forge, a planned isotope production and processing pilot plant. Selected under the DOE’s Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative, Groves-2 Forge aims to streamline a historically fragmented medical supply chain.

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