Today's episode explores three ideas that caught my attention:
Demonstration Reactors are MVPs for Nuclear Energy - These reactors are 1/100 - 1/10 the size of a commercial scale reactor, and enable advanced reactor designs to be proven out from a technical and regulatory perspective with substantially lower cost than a full-scale reactor. Genius.
Timelines are Long, but (Maybe?) Getting Shorter - 10ish years is a good ballpark timeline from idea to commercial scale. That’s a long time, but it used to be 20. Pioneers like Nuscale are “taking the lumps” to help shorten that timeframe.
Underhyped: building more of the reactor designs we already know and understand. All the attention these days is going toward sexy new advanced reactor designs, but Ryan hinted at a theme that has been surfacing in many of these interviews: we need more reps with current tech.
I explore these ideas and more with Ryan Marcum, Principal Consultant at I&C Operative.
Ryan Marcum brings deep expertise in nuclear innovation, particularly in Instrumentation and Control (I&C) systems for non-commercial reactors. Since 2016, he has been at the forefront of streamlining licensing processes for research and demonstration reactors, leveraging their inherently safe features to accelerate development. His unique perspective bridges the gap between traditional nuclear operations and emerging digital technologies, making him a valuable voice in the industry's ongoing evolution.
During our conversation, Ryan shares:
Why demonstration reactors at universities are becoming a crucial proving ground for next-generation nuclear technologies.
How the modularity of new reactor designs is fundamentally changing control center operations and creating opportunities for efficiency at scale.
The reality of nuclear waste management that challenges public perception, supported by shocking data about waste volume and storage requirements.
⚛️ The Nuclear Energy Investing Playbook
Coming March 2025
This episode is part of a special 5-part season on nuclear energy investing. Want to go deeper? Pre-order The Nuclear Energy Investing Playbook: An Angel's Guide.
After analyzing Pitchbook data, interviewing industry leaders, and mapping the entire ecosystem, I've created the comprehensive resource I wish existed when I started researching this space, including:
Insights from 5 expert interviews
50+ hours of intensive market research
Analysis of 80+ nuclear startups and investors
Clear framework for evaluating opportunities
Pre-Order Special: $79 (Regular Price: $99)
100% Satisfaction Guarantee: If you don't find this playbook valuable, I'll refund your purchase - no questions asked.
💫 Special Offer: Subscribe to The Diligent Observer and refer just one friend before the report launches on March 15, 2025 and you’ll both receive the playbook for FREE (a $99 value). Both subscriptions must be active at release.
What We Cover:
00:00 Introduction
01:36 Current Exciting Developments in Nuclear I&C
02:51 Understanding Advanced Reactors
04:59 Demonstration Reactors and Licensing
07:41 Molten Salt Reactors: A Case Study
11:40 Challenges and Timelines for Advanced Reactors
13:41 Key Players in the Advanced Reactor Space
15:56 The Buzz Around Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
22:36 Digital Transformation in Nuclear
28:56 The Role of AI in Nuclear Operations
Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
Connect with Ryan
Connect with Andrew
Newsletter: https://thediligentobserver.substack.com
Website: https://pitchfact.com/
Stuff We Reference
Dr. Rusty Towell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rusty-towell-0a71aa16/
Doug Robinson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglass-robison-a22347304/
Trey Lauderdale: https://www.linkedin.com/in/treylauderdale/
Rod Adams: https://thediligentobserver.substack.com/p/deep-dive-episode-1-scale-through
Abilene Christian University (ACU): https://acu.edu/
Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL): https://www.ornl.gov/
Idaho National Lab (INL): https://inl.gov/
Natura Resources: https://www.naturaresources.com/
Kairos Power: https://kairospower.com/
NuScale Power: https://www.nuscalepower.com/en
X-Energy: https://x-energy.com/
Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC): https://www.usnc.com/
Aalo: https://www.aalo.com/
BWXT: https://www.bwxt.com/
Constellation Energy: https://www.constellation.com/
Blue Wave AI Labs: https://www.bluewaveailabs.com/
Atomic Canyon: https://atomic-canyon.com/
Titans of Nuclear:
Last Energy: https://www.lastenergy.com/
Nucleation Capital: https://nucleationcapital.com/
Generation Atomic: https://www.generationatomic.org/
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC): https://www.nrc.gov/
Department of Energy (DOE): https://www.energy.gov/
Paper Reactor Memo (Admiral Rickover's Essay): https://whatisnuclear.com/rickover.html
DOE Grant Awards for Uranium & Fuel Infrastructure: https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/us-department-energy-announces-80-million-available-support-new-haleu-technologies
Know someone who would enjoy this episode? Share it with them!
P.S. Your feedback is important to me. Also, it tells the algorithms to pay more attention, which helps me out a lot. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the “like” button or leave a comment with your thoughts.
All opinions expressed are personal and may not reflect the views of the individual’s organization or of The Diligent Observer. Not investment advice.
Share this post