From Waste to Wattage: Curio Ignites a New Era for Nuclear Recycling

WASHINGTON, DC – July 14, 2026

A critical bottleneck in America’s clean energy future may be starting to break. Curio, an innovator in nuclear technology, has announced it is moving its advanced fuel recycling process, NuCycle®, from the laboratory to the factory floor. By engaging the engineering heavyweight Sargent & Lundy to design a commercial-scale facility, Curio is signaling a pivotal shift in the decades-long debate over nuclear waste. The move represents one of the most significant steps yet toward creating a closed-loop fuel cycle on U.S. soil, a strategy that could transform nuclear liabilities into national assets.

This is more than just an industrial partnership; it's a calculated bid to solve the paradox that has long hampered nuclear power's potential. For generations, the question of what to do with spent nuclear fuel has loomed over the industry, creating political gridlock and public apprehension. Curio’s initiative aims to reframe the problem entirely by treating used fuel not as waste, but as a valuable resource for a secure and sustainable energy grid.

A Decisive Step from Lab to Industrial Scale

The collaboration announced today pairs Curio's proprietary technology with Sargent & Lundy's century-plus of engineering and licensing expertise. The task is monumental: to translate a validated scientific process into an integrated, buildable, and licensable industrial plant. This launches the formal design development that will form the engineering basis for a license application before the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

"We have proven the science behind NuCycle," said Edward McGinnis, President & CEO of Curio. "Now, with Sargent & Lundy's help, we will design the plant that will recycle used nuclear fuel at scale, strengthening U.S. energy security, and closing the domestic fuel cycle." The statement underscores the transition from a phase of scientific validation—backed by over $14 million in federal grants and successful tests at four Department of Energy national labs—into concrete engineering execution.

For Sargent & Lundy, the project is an application of its deep legacy in the nuclear sector to a next-generation challenge. "Innovation is the foundation of Sargent & Lundy's legacy and the engine of our future," stated Shiven Sulkar, the firm's Executive Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer. He framed the collaboration as a way to apply "more than a century of engineering excellence to help realize a transformative vision for nuclear fuel recycling," ensuring the facility delivers on safety, scalability, and sustainability.

Solving the Nuclear Paradox: Waste as a Resource

At the heart of this initiative is a fundamental shift in how we view nuclear materials. The United States currently has over 80,000 metric tons of used nuclear fuel stored at reactor sites across the country, a figure that grows annually. The NuCycle® process is designed to confront this challenge head-on by separating the components of used fuel. A small fraction is highly radioactive waste requiring permanent disposal, but over 95% of the material consists of uranium and other valuable isotopes that can be recovered and fabricated into new fuel or used for medical and industrial applications.

This approach offers a dual benefit. First, it dramatically reduces the volume and long-term radiotoxicity of the final waste destined for a geological repository, potentially simplifying the nation's permanent disposal challenge. Second, by recovering and reusing fuel materials, it creates a domestic source of fuel, lessening reliance on foreign uranium markets and enrichment services. According to the Nuclear Energy Institute, a closed fuel cycle could provide a virtually inexhaustible supply of energy from existing spent fuel stockpiles, a powerful proposition in an era of volatile geopolitics and fragile supply chains.

Navigating the Regulatory Gauntlet and Economic Realities

Despite its promise, the path to commercial reprocessing in the United States is fraught with challenges. The regulatory process for a first-of-a-kind facility under the NRC's jurisdiction is notoriously complex and lengthy. Applicants must navigate the rigorous requirements of regulations like 10 CFR Part 70, covering everything from facility design and safety analyses to environmental impact and public hearings. Sargent & Lundy's extensive experience in licensing support will be indispensable in charting this course.

Historical precedent adds another layer of complexity. Commercial reprocessing was halted in the U.S. by President Carter in 1977 over proliferation concerns, and while the ban was later lifted, economic and political headwinds have prevented its revival. Historically, reprocessing has been more expensive than simply storing spent fuel, particularly when uranium prices are low. However, industry analysts note that the economic equation is shifting. The rising, and still uncertain, costs of permanent waste disposal, combined with a strategic imperative for energy independence, are making the high upfront capital investment for recycling facilities more justifiable.

The Dawn of a Second Nuclear Era

Curio's project is not happening in a vacuum. It is a key component of what many are calling the "Second Nuclear Era"—a global resurgence of interest in nuclear power as a reliable, carbon-free energy source essential for combating climate change. This new era is defined by a focus on advanced reactor designs, enhanced safety, and, critically, sustainable fuel cycles.

Advanced reactors, such as Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), are poised for deployment in the coming decade and will require a robust fuel supply chain. A domestic recycling capability like that promised by NuCycle® could provide the feedstock for these next-generation power plants, creating a synergistic relationship that strengthens the entire nuclear ecosystem. The U.S. government has shown strong support for this vision, with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act providing powerful incentives for nuclear innovation. This project aligns perfectly with a national strategy to rebuild domestic industrial capacity and secure America's leadership in clean energy technology. This collaboration represents a tangible blueprint for a future where nuclear energy's biggest liability could become one of its greatest assets.