Show Notes
Even as momentum grows for U.S. nuclear, the fuel supply chain is often overlooked. This dynamic is shifting as the industry wakes up to critical choke points and a heavy reliance on countries like Russia for enrichment. As America aims to reduce geopolitical dependency in energy, fixing these domestic gaps has become a strategic priority.
In this episode — a companion to a separate episode of Catalyst focused on nuclear waste — Shayle Kann speaks with Scott Nolan, the CEO of General Matter. The company is focused on enrichment, one of the most acute risk areas in the supply chain. Shayle and Scott also discuss the big-picture state of nuclear fuel, from mining to advanced reactor requirements.
The two cover topics like:
The five-step nuclear fuel supply chain
America’s continued reliance on Russian enrichment:
The history of enrichment decline in the US
The "chicken or egg" problem for advanced reactors
Distinctions between LEU and HALEU fuel
Enrichment’s toll-service business model
The strategic importance of General Matter’s enrichment facility in Paducah, Kentucky
Catalyst: The state and future of nuclear waste
Catalyst: The path to market for new nuclear reactors
Catalyst: The US nuclear groundswell
Open Circuit: Inside Meta’s massive nuclear push
Open Circuit: Fear and loathing at the Department of Energy
Latitude Media: What TerraPower’s big milestone says about future nuclear projects
Latitude Media: Commonwealth Fusion Systems launches digital twin with Nvidia and Siemens
Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Max Savage Levenson. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is our executive editor.
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This is a partner episode, brought to you by Bloom Energy.
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