Zeno Power and Orano announced a strategic agreement to secure a reliable supply of americium-241 (Am-241), a long-lived isotope uniquely suited for space power, from Orano’s used nuclear fuel recycling operations. This collaboration brings together Zeno, the leading developer of nuclear batteries, and Orano, a recognized leading operator in nuclear fuel cycle material production and management, to secure a reliable and diversified nuclear fuel supply chain for Zeno’s power sources. Under the agreement, Zeno will make a multi-million-dollar investment to obtain priority access to large quantities of Am-241 per year from Orano’s la Hague recycling site in Normandy, France.
Americium-241 will fuel Zeno’s space nuclear batteries, also known as radioisotope power systems (RPS), designed to support missions to the moon and beyond. Historically, RPSs in space have utilized plutonium-238 (Pu-238) as a fuel source, but the isotope’s limited global supply and the rising demand for reliable space power have accelerated the search for additional viable fuel sources. Americium-241 offers a sustainable supplement to Pu-238, expanding the fuel options for long-duration space nuclear power. Zeno is currently developing an americium-fueled RPS for NASA to power lunar rovers, landers, and infrastructure on the Moon. These space nuclear batteries will deliver the reliable power needed to survive the lunar night and operate in permanently shadowed areas – capabilities that are vital to the Artemis program and NASA’s Moon to Mars initiative.
This agreement with Orano secures Am-241 for Zeno’s space nuclear batteries while advancing Zeno’s broader strategy to build a robust nuclear fuel supply chain. In parallel, Zeno is developing strontium-fueled nuclear batteries for maritime applications under a Department of Defense contract. Access to Am-241 through Orano complements Zeno’s existing Sr-90 supply from the Department of Energy, creating a robust portfolio of nuclear batteries to deliver reliable power across domains.
“Working with Orano is a pivotal step in advancing Zeno’s multi-fuel approach,” said Tyler Bernstein, Co-Founder and CEO of Zeno Power. “By pairing americium-241 for space missions with strontium-90 for maritime and terrestrial deployments, Zeno’s nuclear batteries will unlock operations in the frontier, from deep sea to deep space.”
Am-241 is an attractive fuel source for space nuclear batteries because of its long half-life of more than 430 years, enabling power systems to last for decades. It is also naturally produced through the decay of other isotopes found in used nuclear fuel. Leveraging its proven industrial recycling capabilities, Orano will recover Am-241 from used fuel processed at its la Hague site, positioning itself as a global leader in Am-241 production.
“Our work with Zeno demonstrates one of the significant values of recycling used nuclear fuel,” said Corinne Spilios, Senior Executive Vice President of Orano’s Recycling Business Unit. “By recovering americium-241, we can gain value from material once designated as waste by retrieving and using one of the isotopes for an advanced application such as space power systems. This agreement once again demonstrates the value of recycling recoverable nuclear materials, which allows for energy production while conserving natural resources.”
Zeno and Orano have worked together since 2022 to explore industrial production of Am-241 powder at the la Hague site, commissioning a feasibility study to evaluate technical, economic, and logistical pathways. This new agreement demonstrates both the growing market demand for Am-241 and the unique role Orano plays in unlocking value by contributing to closing the nuclear fuel cycle.
“With Orano’s world-class operational recycling expertise, we can now harness americium-241 as a new fuel source for the burgeoning demand for nuclear power,” said Harsh S. Desai, Chief Commercialization Officer at Zeno Power. “We are proud to partner with Orano to establish a commercial supply chain for Am-241, transforming recycled material into reliable power for missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond.”
“Americium-241 represents a powerful opportunity to demonstrate the real-world value of used nuclear fuel recycling,” said Jean-Luc Palayer, CEO of Orano USA. “Our collaboration with Zeno shows how industrial-scale recovery of valuable isotopes can create entirely new markets and enable innovative ideas to become reality. As we like to say: It’s only waste if you waste it.”
