The Resurgence of Nuclear Energy in the Digital Age
In this episode, our panel of experts shed light on exciting developments and challenges within nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is increasingly recognized as vital for ensuring energy security and stability. The growing energy demand from Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data centers drives the need to accelerate nuclear plant design and deployment. Our guests highlight the complexities behind large-scale nuclear projects and the imperative to bring advanced reactor technologies to the grid.
Featured Guest – Emilio Baglietto, Associate Department Head and Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT.
AI and the growth of data centers are reshaping the energy sector. By 2030-2035, data centers are projected to consume 9% of US energy. This surge in demand suggests reevaluating how nuclear facilities are designed and constructed. Traditionally, facility construction spans 7-10 years, a timeline that must be accelerated to meet the rapid pace of innovation.
What You’ll Learn in this Episode:
- AI and data centers – the new drivers of nuclear demand
- Challenges with past nuclear projects
- Is a nuclear renaissance ahead?
- Digitalization – the engine to redesign nuclear projects, manage lifecycles, and foster better collaboration with the supply chain
- Use of technology to meet safety requirements, ensure timely project completion and reduce rework
- The need for nuclear facilities to accelerate their design processes to meet capacity demands
Emilio Baglietto
Emilio is the Associate Department Head and Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A passionate nuclear engineer, he is a strong believer in the usefulness of nuclear energy. He discusses how nuclear can be a fundamental contributor to clean energy, but in particular to energy security.
John Nixon
John has worked in energy and utilities for 29+ years, creating multiple energy and technology start-ups leading business development in China, Romania, Panama and the USA. John has also led large greenfield and brownfield projects with oil and mining supermajors in Canada and China, and spearheaded pipeline asset integrity programs in USA and Mexico.
Greg Elliott
Greg is a Siemens solutions Consultant specializing in data science and AI. He is super passionate about nuclear energy and shares insights on machine learning use cases in nuclear. Greg shows customers how Siemens’ software and hardware can be productively used to address a wide range of digital and real-world challenges that affect pipelines, power grids, and the interconnected world of energy generation and distribution.
Matt McCullum
Matt is an Enterprise Account Executive at Siemens, focusing on utilities in Canada, particularly nuclear. He’s been with Siemens for about 14 years and has worked in various verticals and industries. He works directly alongside Canada’s nuclear organizations and helps them discover how Siemens can deliver value against their goals and objectives.
Energy Transformation Podcast
Stay up to date on industry trends and discover what the future holds for the
energy and utilities industry. Our experts discuss the latest on digital lifecycle and
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