Project Omega Emerges From Stealth to Recycle America’s Spent Nuclear Fuel

Core technology has been successfully demonstrated in a laboratory setting

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Project Omega, an advanced nuclear recycling company, today emerged from stealth to announce its mission to rebuild America’s nuclear fuel cycle end-to-end and unlock a new era of energy abundance for the United States. By developing and deploying cutting edge technologies and processes to recycle spent nuclear fuel into long-duration, high-density power sources, and critical materials for the nuclear industry, Project Omega aims to help supply abundant energy to maintain our nation’s technological leadership.

“AI acceleration, electrified manufacturing, and new industrial systems are driving energy demand far faster than today’s grid can provide. Nuclear energy remains the only power source capable of matching that trajectory, yet the U.S. has never built the ecosystem required to enable its full potential,” said Dr. Stafford Sheehan, CEO and founder of Project Omega. “Recycled nuclear fuel can be the foundation of energy independence by delivering decades-long power for military systems, and supplying fuel for advanced nuclear reactors. We are now building the infrastructure to unleash this energy source.”

For more than 50 years, the U.S. has treated spent nuclear fuel as a liability. Currently, the U.S. does not recycle spent nuclear fuel, leaving critical isotopes and energy sources underutilized. Project Omega aims to turn it into a strategic asset for the nation, and is partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to demonstrate a safe, commercially viable pathway to spent nuclear fuel recycling while creating domestic energy security and economic growth opportunities.

“DOE is focused on connecting innovative companies with our national labs to explore new ideas and advance early-stage testing,” said Anthony Pugliese, Chief Commercialization Officer and Director of the Office of Technology Commercialization at the U.S. Department of Energy. “When companies like Project Omega need access to specialized expertise or facilities, we help connect them with labs like Pacific Northwest National Laboratory so promising ideas can move forward.”

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) recently began the testing and evaluation of Project Omega’s novel nuclear power system, successfully producing a working proof of concept within months. A team led by Dr. David Koch, senior scientist, has taken a leading role at PNNL in supporting the commercial space nuclear community to meet U.S. national priorities.

“Long-duration, resilient energy sources will be critical for continuing bold scientific discovery across our solar system,” said Koch. “This public and private partnership with Project Omega addresses issues of national importance. We hope to demonstrate the use of spent nuclear fuel in the nuclear power systems critical to inspiring the next generation of scientists. This may also help to transform the conversation around spent nuclear fuel from one of waste to that of an enabling national resource.”

Project Omega raised an oversubscribed $12 million seed round, led by Starship Ventures, with participation from Mantis Ventures, Buckley Ventures, Decisive Point, Slow Ventures, and several others.

“Every leap in technology has followed a great leap in energy, “ said Sean Hoge, Founder of Starship Ventures. “History is littered with brilliant ideas consigned to paper or the whiteboard because power wasn’t there. Project Omega is turning spent nuclear fuel into abundant, resilient energy to drive the next wave of innovation and help our civilization flourish beyond Earth, among the stars.”

“Spent nuclear fuel may be considered trash for some but we believe it is a treasure, and key to unlocking the next century of U.S. energy leadership,“ added Hugo Peterson, Starship’s Chief Operating Officer. “Project Omega is the company with the technology and expertise to make that future real.”

By rebuilding the nuclear fuel cycle, Project Omega is focused on transforming underutilized spent nuclear fuel into a generative resource, converting supply into abundance, and abundance into strategic advantage for the United States.

About Project Omega

Project Omega is advancing a safe approach to recycling spent nuclear fuel to strengthen energy security and reduce long-term waste. The company is focused on enabling long-duration power solutions for critical national security needs and supplying critical materials to fuel the nuclear industry, supporting a more resilient energy future. Learn more at projectomega.com.

Contacts

Media contact: Johanna Spangenberg Jones
[e-mail]