Project Omega and Idaho National Laboratory Secure ARPA-E Support to Advance Used Nuclear Fuel Recycling Technology
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) has awarded a contract to Project Omega to accelerate the development of innovative technologies for recycling used nuclear fuel (UNF). The project will be carried out in collaboration with Idaho National Laboratory (INL), one of the nation’s premier nuclear research institutions. Through the initiative, the partners aim to validate essential components of Project Omega’s molten-salt electrochemical recycling platform, a system designed to safely process used nuclear fuel, recover valuable isotopes, and significantly reduce the long-term challenges associated with nuclear waste management.
The effort is funded under a program from Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) known as CURIE—short for Converting UNF Radioisotopes Into Energy. The program seeks to advance technologies capable of extracting energy and useful materials from used nuclear fuel while minimizing waste streams. By supporting this research, ARPA-E aims to help establish a scalable and economically viable pathway to recycle nuclear fuel in the United States, which currently lacks a domestic industrial capability for such operations.
Today, more than 100,000 metric tons of used nuclear fuel are stored at reactor sites and interim facilities across the United States. Although commonly referred to as “spent,” this fuel still retains more than 90 percent of its original energy potential. Without a functioning recycling infrastructure, the material remains largely unused and must be managed as long-term nuclear waste. Project Omega’s technology seeks to unlock that residual energy value while reducing the environmental and economic burdens associated with storage and disposal.
ARPA-E Director Conner Prochaska emphasized that the program is intended to bridge the gap between early-stage innovation and real-world deployment. According to Prochaska, ARPA-E focuses on supporting transformative energy technologies that can transition from laboratory concepts into practical systems capable of strengthening national energy infrastructure. Through the CURIE program, Project Omega will collaborate with Idaho National Laboratory to test and refine nuclear fuel recycling technologies, translating research breakthroughs into capabilities that could enhance American leadership in nuclear energy development.
At the heart of the initiative is the demonstration of advanced inert anodes used in the molten-salt electrochemical reduction process. In conventional electrochemical systems, electrodes can degrade over time when exposed to harsh chemical environments. Project Omega’s design incorporates specially engineered inert anodes capable of operating within molten salt conditions without deteriorating, enabling a more stable and efficient separation process for recovering valuable materials from used nuclear fuel.
Under the ARPA-E award, Project Omega will conduct kilogram-scale prototype testing at Idaho National Laboratory. These tests are designed to validate the performance of the recycling platform while generating critical engineering data needed to support pilot-scale development. The experimental program will focus on confirming mass balance, material recovery efficiency, and operational stability—metrics that are essential for determining whether the technology can be scaled into a commercial fuel recycling facility.
Unlike traditional nuclear fuel reprocessing techniques that rely on aqueous chemical processes, Project Omega’s system is entirely non-aqueous. Conventional methods typically use nitric acid to dissolve nuclear fuel before separating various components. While effective, these approaches can generate significant secondary wastewater streams that require complex treatment and disposal. By contrast, the molten-salt electrochemical process developed by Project Omega eliminates the need for large quantities of liquid chemicals.
Instead, the system uses molten salts as the working medium for separating materials through electrochemical reactions. When used nuclear fuel is introduced into the molten salt environment, electrical current drives the separation of different elements based on their electrochemical properties. This process allows the recovery of valuable isotopes and fuel materials while leaving behind smaller volumes of residual waste.
One of the most significant advantages of this approach is that it does not isolate pure plutonium during the recycling process. Traditional reprocessing technologies can separate plutonium as a standalone material, which raises concerns about nuclear proliferation. Project Omega’s system is designed to avoid this outcome by keeping plutonium mixed with other elements throughout the process, reducing potential security risks while maintaining the ability to recover useful materials.
John Wagner, director of Idaho National Laboratory, noted that the United States possesses an enormous untapped energy resource in the form of used nuclear fuel. Despite containing the majority of its original energy content, this material remains largely unused because the country lacks an industrial infrastructure capable of recycling it.
Wagner explained that the partnership between INL and Project Omega through ARPA-E’s CURIE program represents an important step toward addressing this gap. By validating the molten-salt electrochemical platform at kilogram scale, researchers will be able to gather the rigorous, data-driven insights required to transition nuclear fuel recycling from a theoretical concept into deployable infrastructure.
The testing program at Idaho National Laboratory will also provide researchers with an opportunity to refine operational parameters and confirm that the technology can function reliably under real-world conditions. INL’s extensive expertise in nuclear materials science, fuel cycle research, and advanced reactor technologies makes it an ideal partner for the project. The laboratory has decades of experience in studying nuclear fuel behavior, managing radioactive materials, and developing innovative technologies to support the next generation of nuclear power systems.
Looking beyond the current research phase, Project Omega has outlined plans to build a pilot facility capable of processing multiple forms of used nuclear fuel. Such a facility would represent a major milestone in rebuilding domestic nuclear fuel recycling capabilities. By recovering usable materials from existing waste stockpiles, the system could supply advanced reactor developers with recycled fuel while also supporting isotope production for medical, industrial, and scientific applications.
Stafford Sheehan, founder and chief executive officer of Project Omega, described used nuclear fuel as one of the most underutilized energy resources in the United States. According to Sheehan, the collaboration with Idaho National Laboratory is focused on demonstrating that recycling technology can provide a practical, industrial solution to extract energy from existing fuel inventories.
He noted that the project could also help reduce the long-term financial liabilities associated with managing nuclear waste. By recovering valuable materials and reducing the volume of waste requiring permanent disposal, the technology could lower the costs borne by taxpayers while strengthening the resilience of the domestic nuclear fuel cycle.
In addition to energy production benefits, recycled nuclear materials could support emerging advanced reactor designs. Many next-generation reactors require specialized fuels or isotopes that can potentially be produced through recycling processes. By recovering these materials from existing fuel stockpiles, the United States could reduce its dependence on foreign supply chains while accelerating the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies.
The project also has implications for national security. A robust domestic fuel recycling capability would enhance the country’s ability to manage nuclear materials responsibly while maintaining technological leadership in nuclear science and engineering. Developing such infrastructure could position the United States to play a larger role in shaping global nuclear fuel cycle standards and practices.
The CURIE program under ARPA-E supports a range of research efforts aimed at modernizing nuclear fuel recycling technologies. Projects funded through the program are exploring new techniques for separating and recovering materials from spent fuel, improving systems for monitoring and accounting for nuclear materials, and designing next-generation facilities capable of operating more safely and efficiently.
By encouraging innovation across these areas, ARPA-E hopes to create a foundation for a more sustainable nuclear fuel cycle. The agency’s broader objective is to enable technologies that reduce nuclear waste, strengthen energy security, and unlock the remaining value contained within used nuclear fuel.
Through the collaboration between Project Omega and Idaho National Laboratory, the ARPA-E-funded initiative represents a significant step toward achieving those goals. By demonstrating molten-salt electrochemical recycling at meaningful scale and generating the engineering data required for pilot deployment, the project aims to bring the United States closer to establishing a practical and secure system for recovering energy and valuable materials from nuclear fuel that would otherwise remain unused.
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