Currents Ep321: Financing the Next Wave of Nuclear
Oct 23, 2025
Jake Jurewicz, CEO of Blue Energy, discusses the revolutionary potential of modular nuclear power plants. He highlights how prefabrication and offshore construction methods can reduce costs and timelines for deployment. Jake explains the innovative use of barges for transporting large reactor modules and the financial strategies to enhance commercial viability. He emphasizes the importance of public acceptance and policy shifts. With targeted plant sizes and strategic financing, he envisions a future where nuclear energy is accessible and efficient.
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Cost And Time Are Nuclear's Real Problem
- Nuclear's primary barrier is cost and construction time, not technology or demand.
- Long build schedules and two-to-threefold cost overruns have deterred commercial finance and slowed deployment.
Design For Offsite Prefabrication
- Design plants for prefabrication using fab yards and shipyards to enable fixed-price contracts.
- Use those performance guarantees to attract commercial debt similar to LNG and offshore projects.
Energize Balance Of Plant Early
- Build the balance of plant first and operate it on gas to achieve an early commercial operation date.
- This lowers cost of capital, provides offtaker assurance, and shortens nuclear commissioning time.