Hardware Podcasts

Building a domestic nuclear fuel supply chain

Catalyst · 2 Apr 2026 · 38m

What this episode covers

Scott Nolan, CEO of General Matter, explains the five-step nuclear fuel supply chain, highlighting enrichment as the critical bottleneck where the US relies heavily on European and Russian sources. He details the distinction between Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) for existing reactors and High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU) for advanced reactors, noting that domestic HALEU capacity is virtually non-existent. Nolan discusses General Matter’s strategy to build a new enrichment facility in Paducah, Kentucky, leveraging a Department of Energy award to address the 'chicken or egg' problem for advanced reactor deployment.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
General Matter, Honeywell, Solstice Advanced Materials, Camco, Urenco, Founders Fund, Elemental Power
Also
Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Department of Energy

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