Trump Administration in Talks to Supply 50 Tons of Weapons-Grade Plutonium to Private Nuclear Startups

The Trump administration is in advanced negotiations with nuclear startups including Oklo to convert more than 50 tons of weapons-grade plutonium into commercial reactor fuel. S. government would make such weapons-grade material available to private companies.

The United States is sitting on more than 50 tons of plutonium left behind by nuclear weapons programs. The Department of Energy had previously planned to dilute and bury the plutonium. The Trump administration wants to convert the plutonium into viable nuclear fuel for nuclear reactors.

The move is framed as a fix for a critical nuclear fuel supply chain bottleneck. Today, there are only five plants in the world that operate large-scale uranium conversion. Half of global uranium conversion capacity is controlled by Russia.

A January report from Stanford Energy stated that nuclear energy faces fuel supply chain vulnerabilities with tight uranium supplies, geopolitical risks, and rising costs. Benjamin Godwin at Prism Strategic Intelligence told the Financial Times last year that Russian and Chinese players have been very keen to secure access to resources in central Asia and Africa, creating a very aggressive competitive environment.

Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Ted Garrish told World Nuclear News in February that used nuclear fuel is an incredible untapped resource in the United States.

Ted Garrish told World Nuclear News in February that the Trump Administration is taking a common-sense approach to making sure we're using our resources in the most efficient ways possible to secure American energy independence and fuel our economic growth.

The Trump administration aims to reestablish the United States as the global leader in nuclear energy. Jacob DeWitte is the chief executive of Oklo.

Jacob DeWitte said a lack of fuel is one of the biggest choke points in expanding nuclear power right now. Jacob DeWitte said that acquiring plutonium will help get more nuclear power online faster. Research into recycling spent nuclear fuel indicates that resource utilization could be boosted by 95 percent.