Sourcery’s Molly O’Shea sits down with Doug Bernauer, Founder and CEO of Radiant, a company pioneering portable nuclear reactors designed to replace traditional diesel generators. Doug shares insights from his experience working with Elon Musk at SpaceX and delves into Radiant’s mission and key innovations. He discusses their ambitious goal of fuel testing by 2026 and provides a technical deep dive into the technology, history, and safety measures of nuclear power. Discover how Radiant aims to meet clean energy needs in remote locations with their one-megawatt transportable nuclear reactors.

Quick Stats on Radiant:

1 MW electric
1.9 MW heat, recoverable up to 80 degrees Celsius
Unit lifetime of 20 years with 4 cores, cores are replaced at the factory
Transportable by land, air, sea
Passive safety features

TRISO fuel is meltdown-proof and handles temperatures up to 1600 C
Helium coolant does not become radioactive, eliminating the impact of a release
Passive cooling air jacket keeps fuel and vessel temperatures controlled even if power is lost

Radiant CEO Doug Bernauer on Portable Nuclear Microreactors & the Future of Clean Energy