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The Atomic Show #132 – Ray Squirrel Interviews (Atomic) Rod Adams

ByRod Adams

Ray Squirrel is the screen name used by a documentary film maker who is collecting material for a film about nuclear power. You can find some of the work he has done so far at RaySquirrel’s youtube site. I am not sure how the film will come out, but I thought you might be interested in the interview that Ray’s assistant, James conducted with me on Wednesday, 13 May.

Warning – this podcast is the longest Atomic Show yet at about 105 minutes.

He asked a lot of good, probing questions with an open attitude. Topics include Adams Atomic Engines, Inc., small nuclear power plants, the nuclear renaissance, French nuclear power experiences, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, nuclear waste, hazards of other energy sources, my thoughts on large scale renewable energy systems, and the importance of understanding commercial energy competition.

During the interview I mentioned a local natural gas explosion that injured 8 firefighters and one employee of the Washington Gas Company. Here is a link to more information about that accident – which had more serious effects on the public health than the far more widely publicized Three Mile Island nuclear power plant accident.

Explosion a good reminder there are no ‘routine’ calls

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:45:07 — 48.2MB)

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Rod Adams
Rod Adams

Rod Adams is Managing Partner of Nucleation Capital, a venture fund that invests in advanced nuclear, which provides affordable access to this clean energy sector to pronuclear and impact investors. Rod, a former submarine Engineer Officer and founder of Adams Atomic Engines, Inc., which was one of the earliest advanced nuclear ventures, is an atomic energy expert with small nuclear plant operating and design experience. He has engaged in technical, strategic, political, historic and financial analysis of the nuclear industry, its technology, regulation, and policies for several decades through Atomic Insights, both as its primary blogger and as host of The Atomic Show Podcast. Please click here to subscribe to the Atomic Show RSS feed. To join Rod's pronuclear network and receive his occasional newsletter, click here.

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10 Comments

  1. I HAVE JUST LISTENED TO THE WHOLE 105 MINUTES OF ATOMIC 132 BRILLIANT ROD HAVE BEEN PLAYING YOUR PODCAST FOR A LONG TIME .THIS IS YOUR BEST YET.

    ( A I LOVE NUCLEAR ENERGY) ONLY WISH WE HAD SOME HERE IN AUS

    (SOON SOON I HOPE)

    KEEP EDUCATING US ROD

    REGARDS PAUL.

  2. Paul – thank you for the nice thoughts. I only wish you were shouting that from the rooftops rather than on a blog comment. 🙂

  4. Patrick – glad you enjoyed the show. If you get involved in conversations with anti’s on the web, feel free to let me know so I can join in.

  6. Hi Rod, I like the long shows btw, this one have listened to about 3 times great stuff.

    Looks like the only thing the guy interviewing didn’t mention was the old topic of proliferation but anyway it was really enjoyable…way better anything on the Tv or Radio.

    Would like to ask if there could be some discussion at some time about Nuclear’s potential to produce synthetic hydrocarbons to replace those aspects of life where high density liquid hydrocarbons are indispensible in particular for Jet Aircraft. I have noted that the University of Idaho have research on CO-SYNTROLYSIS, the reduction of waste C02 and the high temperature steam electrolysis of water to produce syngas that can be converted to fuels like kerosene and diesel. I am sure sensible nations will develop road transport to use electricity from nuclear in the future but think and electric airplane is still a long way off. Your thoughts as ever will be much appreciated. Alex from England U.K.

    ps. My stupid Government are about to waste £4 billion on coal CCS project – What a Waste of Money, Time & Effort. Could have a nice clean emmisions free plant for the same money for 60+ years!

  8. Rod, yes I listened to that interview – I am sure nuclear assisted coal liquifaction will happen within the next decade or so. This will ensure a new source of syn-crude that can be refined into virtally sulphur free kerosene and Diesel fuel with no c02 emissions made during manufacture unlike current coal to liquid plants like Sasol which produce massive quantities of c02 through having to burn coal to heat the coal and the water gas shift reaction to create the extra hydrogen for the hydrocarbon. The nuclear heat does all this work without emissions.

    The potential of using co2 and water as a feed would eliminate the coal requirement and waste heat could be used to purify water then the water split using thermochemical/high temp steam electrolysis providing the building blocks for hydrocarbons. In the near term using the waste stream c02 from fossil fuel combustion could be made into something of some value. I think the term used is “twice burned coal/gas” . Obviously if c02 could be extracted from sea water which is around 60 times more concentrated than in air, the whole process would be carbon neutral. I believe the navy considered such a proposal, using an air-craft carrier reactor to make hydrocarbons for the jet’s above deck. It would take considerable hydrogen to do all the above but if one source has the power to do it, nuclear has. Unlimited nuclear power means unlimited hydrogen and therefore with the hydrogen used to reduce c02 to c0 then unlimted hydrocarbons for those tasks that just cant be done any other way. Love to hear more about these kind of scheme. Think it is University of Idaho at the forefront of this technology in the US. All the best. Alex

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