CEO of Curio talks about Recycling Nuclear Waste to overcome Uranium Shortage for Nuclear Energy
In his interview with Steve Gruber, Ed McGinnis, CEO of Curio and former senior official at the U.S. Department of Energy, outlined a transformative vision for how America could turn its stockpile of spent nuclear fuel into a domestic energy and national security asset. Rather than treating used nuclear fuel as dangerous waste requiring expensive long-term storage, McGinnis emphasized that it should be viewed as a valuable resource. He explained that over 90 percent of the potential energy in nuclear fuel remains even after it’s removed from a reactor, and that Curio’s technology is designed to extract and reuse that value.
McGinnis described Curio’s proprietary process, called NuCycle, as a new generation of nuclear reprocessing. Unlike older methods that isolate pure plutonium and raise concerns about nuclear weapons proliferation, NuCycle uses a more secure, electrochemical approach. The process blends materials in such a way that they are unsuitable for use in weapons while still being effective as fuel for advanced nuclear reactors. This design also helps minimize environmental impact, avoids liquid acid waste, and dramatically reduces the overall volume and toxicity of the remaining waste.
According to McGinnis, NuCycle can reduce the volume of high-level radioactive waste by more than 95 percent. The small remaining fraction has a much shorter radioactive life span—around 300 years—compared to the tens of thousands of years required for conventional spent fuel. This change would make long-term storage far more manageable and less politically contentious, potentially eliminating one of the most persistent obstacles to expanding nuclear power in the U.S.
The interview also explored the broader implications of this innovation. By recycling spent fuel, Curio aims to create a closed-loop fuel cycle that can support both existing light-water reactors and new generations of advanced reactors. The uranium and plutonium recovered through NuCycle can be converted into new fuel, while certain other elements—such as lanthanides and minor actinides—can be used in specialized reactor designs. McGinnis emphasized that this multi-purpose fuel flexibility positions Curio as a critical enabler for the future of nuclear energy.
Beyond fuel, the process can extract rare isotopes valuable for medical, industrial, and space applications. McGinnis explained that many of these isotopes are either in short supply or sourced from foreign adversaries. By reclaiming them from existing spent fuel, Curio can strengthen U.S. supply chains and create new markets in healthcare, aerospace, and national defense. This approach also creates an economic multiplier effect, turning radioactive waste into a feedstock for multiple industries.
The national security implications were also front and center. The United States currently depends on foreign countries, including adversaries, for a significant portion of its uranium fuel supply. McGinnis warned that this dependency is not just an economic liability but a strategic risk. Recycling domestic spent fuel would help reestablish American energy sovereignty and reduce the leverage of foreign suppliers. He also noted that existing stockpiles—nearly 90,000 metric tons—contain enough usable material to power the country’s nuclear reactors for generations.
Curio’s business plan is to develop a pilot recycling facility within the next five to seven years, followed by a commercial-scale plant by 2035. The commercial facility would be large enough to process several thousand metric tons of spent fuel annually, eventually enabling Curio to address the entire U.S. inventory over time. McGinnis estimated that such a facility would create thousands of skilled jobs and inject hundreds of millions of dollars annually into the local economy.
He also highlighted Curio’s strategic partnerships with utility operators, national laboratories, and international fuel processing firms. These alliances are designed to ensure that Curio’s recycling technology can integrate smoothly with both the current energy infrastructure and the evolving needs of advanced reactor developers. With utilities already expressing interest in recycling their spent fuel, McGinnis sees a clear path to commercialization.
The conversation ended with a reflection on public perception and political barriers. McGinnis acknowledged that regulatory and community concerns about nuclear waste remain strong, but he believes that the promise of reducing radioactive longevity, volume, and risk will gradually shift opinion. By reframing nuclear waste as a valuable resource instead of a liability, Curio is aiming to rewrite the narrative—and possibly reshape America’s energy future in the process.
