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Atomic Insights

Atomic energy technology, politics, and perceptions from a nuclear energy insider who served as a US nuclear submarine engineer officer

Advanced Atomic Technologies

Atomic Show #270 – Fastest Path to Zero

March 27, 2020 By Rod Adams 5 Comments

Fastest Path to Zero logo

Suzanne (Suzy) Hobbs Baker serves as the Creative Director for Fastest Path to Zero. I recently spoke with Suzy and Steve Aplin, a consultant to the Canadian nuclear industry and frequent Atomic Show guest, about the work that Fastest Path to Zero has done and plans to do in the near future. Fastest Path to […]

Filed Under: Advanced Atomic Technologies, Alternative energy, Clean Energy, Climate change, Podcast, Smaller reactors

Oklo has filed first combined license application (COLA) with the NRC since 2009

March 18, 2020 By Rod Adams 15 Comments

Oklo, Inc. announced yesterday that its combined license application (COLA) to build and operate an Aurora at INL was undergoing acceptance review at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Key project specifics Oklo’s Aurora is a 1.5 MWe liquid metal fast reactor with heat pipes to move fission heat out of the reactor core and into the […]

Filed Under: Advanced Atomic Technologies, Liquid Metal Cooled Reactors, New Nuclear, Smaller reactors

Investing in atomic fission to make world a better place

February 25, 2020 By Rod Adams 17 Comments

An increasing number of major corporations and famous individual investors have announced plans to make their money work harder to address environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals. These plans are not about philanthropic giving. The individuals and organizations believe that careful targeting of their money can produce both financial and social returns. By investing in […]

Filed Under: Advanced Atomic Technologies, Alternative energy, Business of atomic energy

Project Pele – Part II. Enabling technologies

April 20, 2019 By Rod Adams 26 Comments

Building mobile nuclear power plants will be a challenge, but successfully meeting the challenges could alter the future trajectory of the energy and fuels supply industry. That is one of the largest and most consequential sectors of our modern, mobile, industrialized economy. There are no guarantees, but compared to many research and development projects, Project […]

Filed Under: Advanced Atomic Technologies, Gas Cooled Reactors, Small Nuclear Power Plants, Smaller reactors

Project Dilithium – Boldly going back to a place our ancestors visited and prematurely abandoned

March 11, 2019 By Rod Adams 40 Comments

In January 2019, the Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) of the U.S. Department of Defense officially informed the world that it was interested in learning more about small, mobile, nuclear generators. The SCO said it wanted to find out if there was technology available that could supply a forward operating base with abundant, emission-free electricity for […]

Filed Under: Uncategorized, Advanced Atomic Technologies, Army Nuclear Program, Atomic politics, Smaller reactors

Are we finally approaching lift-off for a real Renaissance?

February 9, 2019 By Rod Adams 61 Comments

Obituaries of the “Nuclear Renaissance” have been widespread and frequent in the years since the Great Recession and reactions to the Great Northeast Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami. I’m pretty sure those obits have been premature in declaring the subject to be dead. Last week, I attended the 6th Annual Advanced Reactor Summit and Technology Showcase. […]

Filed Under: Advanced Atomic Technologies, 6th AR Summit, New Nuclear

Atomic Show #264 – Building momentum in advanced nuclear energy

January 28, 2019 By Rod Adams 7 Comments

It’s not glaringly obvious, but preparatory steps enabling a take off for advanced nuclear power systems are making measurable progress. Enabling legislative acts have been passed by both the Senate and House and signed by the President, turning them into laws requiring actions. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is back to full strength and under a […]

Filed Under: Advanced Atomic Technologies, Atomic politics, Clean Energy, Climate change, Podcast

Kairos – Developing advanced nuclear energy in Alameda

November 13, 2018 By Rod Adams 67 Comments

In some ways, Kairos Power has a familiar sounding story. It is a California-based start-up founded by three bright people, all with a tie to Cal Berkeley (UCB). They have decided to turn their grant-funded tech research into a for-profit company. One of the founders, Dr. Per Peterson, is a long established UCB professor with […]

Filed Under: Advanced Atomic Technologies, ANS Winter 2018

Turning nuclear into a fuel dominated business

October 28, 2018 By Rod Adams 66 Comments

Under our current energy paradigm, nuclear power has the reputation of needing enormous up-front capital investments. Once those investments have been made and the plants are complete, the payoff is that they have low recurring fuel costs. Just the opposite is said of simple cycle natural gas fired combustion turbines. They require a small capital […]

Filed Under: Adams Engines, Advanced Atomic Technologies, Business of atomic energy, Economics, Gas Cooled Reactors, Graphite Moderated Reactors, Pebble Bed Reactors, Smaller reactors

Fission heated gas turbines address MIT Future of Nuclear challenges. Easier, straighter, less costly path

September 20, 2018 By Rod Adams 57 Comments

Addressing Recommendations of MIT Future of Nuclear Energy In a Carbon Constrained World The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a world renowned institution that has produced thousands of highly educated engineers and scientists. It is generously supported by foundations, corporations and governments. In 2003, the MIT Energy Initiative, began publishing a series of reports […]

Filed Under: Advanced Atomic Technologies, Gas Cooled Reactors, Graphite Moderated Reactors, New Nuclear, Pebble Bed Reactors, Small Nuclear Power Plants, Smaller reactors

With immediate and profound changes, U.S. nuclear power can become an unexpected but welcome low carbon wedge

July 9, 2018 By Rod Adams 91 Comments

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon, University of San Diego, and Harvard recently published a useful call to action titled U.S. nuclear power: The vanishing low-carbon wedge. For pro-nuclear observers and debaters, their conclusion may seem quite depressing. It should be a source of profound concern for all who care about climate change that, for entirely predictable […]

Filed Under: Advanced Atomic Technologies, Business of atomic energy, Economics

Atomic Show #262 – New thinking about nuclear energy

February 12, 2018 By Rod Adams 7 Comments

It’s time – or way past time – to think and talk about nuclear energy in new ways, recognizing the importance of the topic for the future health and prosperity of humanity. This show includes 5 forward leaning thought leaders in atomic energy. All of them are optimistic about nuclear’s future, often driven by their […]

Filed Under: Advanced Atomic Technologies, Atomic Entrepreneurs, Business of atomic energy, Podcast

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