Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy

1) Michael discusses his background in math and how it led him to a career in the government 2) Michael explains the regulatory review process as it applies to domestic projects and international technologies approved abroad 3) Michael explains Chinese advancements in nuclear technology in comparison to North American innovation 4) Michael and Bret discuss the future of nuclear including financing, regulations, environmental assessments, and safety planning 

1) Ramzi was introduced to nuclear early by family and university professors who were pioneers of the industry 2) Ramzi explains advances in the medical field due to nuclear technology 3) Ramzi breaks down negative perceptions about nuclear 4) Ramzi discusses recent changes to the nuclear field and his hopes for the future

1) Peter's background in physics engineering and interest in high temperature ceramics led him to the nuclear industry 2) Peter views the Defense and Depth Theory 3) The difference between repositories vs. dilution 4) Canada’s new impact assessments in the nuclear industry allow societal views to play into the nuclear industry

1) Rumina came to Canada as a refugee and became among the first women in the nuclear operations field 2) As a regulator it is essential to build public trust through transparency and data sharing 3) Her goal of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is to protect the environment, the public, and workers while also meeting international security obligations 4) Rumina discusses her hopes for the future of nuclear including involving more women and using nuclear to fight climate change

1) Know How versus Know Why and how a reliance on rules can hinder innovation 2) How European states are supporting one another through the The European Nuclear Education Network 3) How increasing communication within the diverse industry sectors can help push the sector forward 4) Educating the public through reactor visits decreases fear and increases support of nuclear power

(1) Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and their nuclear research (2) How other methods of containing accidents may be better but strict regulations and ignorance hinder implementation (3) Short term versus long term nuclear waste storage (4) Why Germany’s nuclear industry has ended and how this may affect the future of nuclear in other European countries

1) The Nuclear Society of Slovenia and Slovenia’s nuclear industry 2) How publicly reporting nuclear events can lead to overreactions and widespread media attention 3) How an inability to make decisions is blocking Slovenia’s nuclear future 4) The need for trusted influencers to educate the Slovene public about nuclear radiation

(1) Radiation misconceptions and the importance of increasing education and communication (2) GEN’s role in the Slovene nuclear industry and in Europe more broadly (3) How renewable energies create volatile electricity markets, decreasing investment attractiveness (4) The challenges involved in moving Slovenia to a zero carbon country

1) HyperV Technologies’ focus on plasma jet magneto inertial fusion (PJMIF) 2) What PJMIF is and what the system components are 3) How further development is needed to achieve a smooth liner, a magnetized target and guns that can withstand the parameters 4) How additional funding is needed to accelerate development and bring fusion reactors to the break-even point

1) The history of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO) and the current research reactor 2) Australia’s nuclear industry and the current inquiries to overturn the nuclear ban 3) How simulated bubble formation in pressurized water reactors are used in RELAP code 4) How China’s molten salt reactors and new HTGR will generate 540 gigawatts of capacity by 2050

(1) Helen’s journey from a country banning nuclear energy towards publishing a textbook on nuclear law and the creation of her own nuclear law practice (2) The regulatory challenges facing SMRs for newcomer countries (3) The importance of nuclear liability in legal frameworks and the minimum liability amount of 300 million SDRs (4) Egypt’s deal with Russia to build 4 VVER1200 reactors and the negotiations involved in establishing Egypt’s nuclear program

In this episode, we discuss how... (1) Ed got his start in nuclear by going to the Naval Academy (2) Ed took a break from his nuclear career to attend Harvard Business School (3) Ed discusses the difficulties making nuclear competitive in a market system versus a regulated system  (4) Ed discusses the future of nuclear in both the US and abroad 

In this episode, we discuss... (1) Rod Adam’s passion about nuclear energy (2) How Rod started out as a Navy engineer in charge of a nuclear reactor on a submarine (3) How Rod later opened his own nuclear energy company, Adam’s Atomic Engines (4) How Rod now runs Atomic Insights, a website and podcast that acts as a scholarly resource and archive on the nuclear field

(1) How the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority became the commercial AA Technology nuclear practice (2) How radioactive waste is disposed of in the UK, the US, and in Canada (3) The importance of calibration when communicating radioactive waste and nuclear safety (4) Establishing fertile SMR markets through effective communication and government commitment rather than technological advancement

(1) The importance of optimizing the secondary side design to remain competitive in today’s nuclear landscape (2) The interdisciplinary nature of the nuclear field and the shift in the reactor design process to focus on economics and safety (3) The economic conclusions from Koroush’s small reactor design research and how lower source terms mean less stringent NRC requirements (4) The factors that determine the number of fuel cycles and the decision to reuse fuel