Trump Plans to Transfer Weapons-Grade Plutonium to Private Control

By Staff, Agencies

The United States Department of Energy has identified several private companies as potential recipients of weapons-grade plutonium, including one formerly linked to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who served on its board before joining the Trump administration.

The US government holds roughly 50 metric tons of fissile material recovered from dismantled nuclear weapons at highly secure sites.

The Trump administration said last year that it intended to expand the Surplus Plutonium Utilization Program by allowing private companies to manufacture energy-dense fuel for advanced small reactors, with 20 tons of plutonium earmarked for transfer.

On Tuesday, the Department of Energy named five firms chosen for “advanced negotiations” under the plan, among them Oklo Inc., a California-based small-reactor developer that Wright helped run before his confirmation as energy secretary in February 2025.

Oklo said it would use US plutonium in partnership with the European company newcleo.

CEO Jacob DeWitte said the initiative “creates a pathway to use existing surplus material as bridge fuel for advanced reactors to bring more reactors online sooner.”

The other companies named by the government are Exodys Energy, SHINE Technologies, Standard Nuclear, and Flibe Energy. The Department of Energy said access to plutonium supplies would help private partners attract investment.

The US plan to transfer weapons-grade plutonium to private companies has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers, who warn it poses major safety and proliferation risks, could encourage global stockpiling, and has been compared to prioritizing private interests over nuclear security amid ongoing tensions over Iran’s nuclear program.

The US previously relied on US–Russia nuclear fuel cooperation, including the HEU–LEU program that converted Russian weapons-grade uranium into reactor fuel until 2013, while a parallel plutonium deal was later suspended amid deteriorating ties.

After banning Russian enriched uranium imports in 2024, Washington has moved to rebuild its domestic enrichment capacity, including a $2.7 billion investment plan announced by the Department of Energy.