Washington, D.C.-based nuclear technology company Curio has taken a major step toward building a commercial nuclear fuel recycling facility in the United States by bringing engineering firm Sargent & Lundy on board to design the plant that will house its NuCycle technology. The agreement marks the transition of NuCycle from research and development into the engineering phase, laying the foundation for a facility that aims to recycle used nuclear fuel at commercial scale. The project is expected to support licensing before the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission while advancing efforts to establish a closed domestic nuclear fuel cycle. Sargent & Lundy will develop the engineering design for the process building where Curio’s proprietary recycling technology will operate. The work includes site evaluation, facility design criteria, and conceptual designs for the process building and supporting infrastructure needed for future deployment. The companies say the project is intended to improve U.S. energy security by recovering valuable material from spent nuclear fuel instead of treating it solely as waste. The facility is also being designed with safety, maintainability, and scalability in mind as it moves toward commercial deployment. Engineering phase begins “As we approach commercialization of our NuCycle technology, we are achieving multiple milestones at a rapid pace,” said Edward McGinnis, President & CEO of Curio. “We have proven the science behind NuCycle. 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 engineering work will establish the technical basis needed for regulatory approval by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. A completed facility design is expected to support licensing activities before construction can begin. Curio says its NuCycle process has already completed laboratory-scale validation across four U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories. The company has also secured more than $14 million in competitive federal grants and has partnered with the Utilities Service Alliance, giving it access to collaboration opportunities with 18 operating U.S. nuclear reactors. Sargent & Lundy says the project builds on its long history of designing power infrastructure while helping advance a new generation of nuclear technologies . “Innovation is the foundation of Sargent & Lundy’s legacy and the engine of our future,” said Shiven Sulkar, Executive Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer at Sargent & Lundy. “As we partner with Curio to advance the NuCycle facility design, we’re applying more than a century of engineering excellence to help realize a transformative vision for nuclear fuel recycling.” If successful, the facility could help reduce dependence on fresh uranium by recovering usable materials from spent nuclear fuel while supporting long-term fuel availability for advanced reactors. A domestic recycling capability could also reduce reliance on foreign processing and strengthen the resilience of the U.S. nuclear supply chain . The project remains in the design stage, with engineering, licensing, and regulatory reviews still ahead before commercial operations become possible.