Oklo Achieves "World Record Speed" in Nuclear Reactor Construction with Groves One
Oklo, a developer of microreactors, completed the construction of its pilot isotope-production reactor, Groves One, in 229 days this June. CEO Jacob DeWitte has stated this achievement represents a "world record speed" for reactor construction in the U.S., aiming to address the increasing energy demands driven by the AI boom and American manufacturing. While some smaller reactors were built faster during the early Atomic Age and Cold War, Groves One marks the fastest U.S. non-military reactor build under contemporary environmental and Department of Energy (DOE) regulations. The Aurora microreactor, significantly smaller than conventional nuclear reactors, generates 1.5 MWe but can be scaled up to 75 MWe per 'Powerhouse' plant by connecting multiple microreactors. These smaller plants are designed for rapid deployment in remote and off-grid locations. The Aurora uses metallic uranium fuel pellets, which are denser, more thermally resistant, and cheaper to produce than the uranium dioxide pellets used in tra... 
