Orano to Sell Its Americium-241 Stock for Space Nuclear Batteries

A new contract signed with an American company specializing in the design of nuclear batteries will allow Orano to give an economic purpose to its stock of americium-241 generated from the recycling of spent nuclear fuel. The isotope will be used by Zeno Power in the nuclear batteries it designs for NASA’s lunar missions.

On September 24, 2025, Orano signed a strategic, non-exclusive agreement with the US-based company Zeno Power, which develops nuclear batteries and compact power systems. The agreement covers the supply of americium-241 (Am-241), produced through recycling activities at the La Hague facility, for use in Zeno’s nuclear batteries. In the long term, Zeno Power will invest several million dollars to secure priority access to significant annual quantities of Am-241. “An initial laboratory-scale production of a few grams was achieved in 2024. Ultimately, industrial-scale production of around 10 kg per year could be commercialized,” Orano told RGN.

From maritime to space applications

Zeno Power already holds a contract with the US Department of Defense for the supply of strontium-90, another radioactive isotope used in its nuclear batteries for maritime applications. As part of its broader strategy to build a reliable and diversified nuclear fuel supply chain, the US company is now expanding its partnerships to France for other uses.

“By combining americium-241 for space missions with strontium-90 for maritime and terrestrial deployments, Zeno’s nuclear batteries will enable frontier operations—from the depths of the ocean to deep space,” said Tyler Bernstein, co-founder and CEO of Zeno Power.

Americium instead of plutonium?

Americium-241 has long been considered an ideal candidate for powering electrical devices used in space. Thanks to its long half-life (430 years) and high energy density, it performs well in environments where solar or chemical energy sources are limited. Historically, plutonium-238 has been the isotope of choice for similar applications. However, due to limited global supply and rising demand from expanding space programs, Am-241 now offers a reliable and sustainable complementary alternative as a nuclear fuel source.

The isotope will be used in Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS)—also known as Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTG)—to generate electricity for spacecraft, rovers, landers, and lunar infrastructure supporting NASA’s Artemis and Moon to Mars programs.

Giving value to nuclear waste

Americium-241 is a minor actinide still classified as nuclear waste today. This project therefore provides a concrete and innovative application for a material that can be recovered and repurposed.
“Our collaboration with Zeno illustrates one of the key advantages of recycling spent nuclear fuel—it allows us to produce energy while preserving natural resources,” said Corinne Spilios, Executive Vice President of Orano’s Recycling Business Unit.

Orano will need to make certain adjustments to meet the production requirements. “Design studies for a dedicated production unit for americium recovery are underway. Construction work and regulatory authorizations will be required to deploy the process on an industrial scale at the La Hague site,” Orano told RGN.■