

Is Wright's Law Wrong?
12 snips Jun 25, 2025
Robbie Stewart, CTO of Alva Energy and co-founder of Boston Atomics, dives into the complexities of nuclear construction and learning curves. He discusses why the nuclear industry struggles with cost reduction compared to other sectors. Insights include the success of France's reactor fleet and China's swift AP1000 construction, highlighting the necessity of integrated management and standardized designs. Stewart challenges traditional notions of Wright's Law, emphasizing the need for nuanced approaches to drive efficiency and accountability in nuclear project management.
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Wright's Law Factory Focus
- Wright's Law states doubling production reduces costs by a consistent percentage.
- It's mainly applicable to factory-floor manufacturing, not large construction projects like nuclear plants.
Types of Nuclear Learning
- Nuclear learning falls into three categories: fixing mismanagement, technology insertion, and construction optimization.
- Most improvements in nuclear are construction-related, not nuclear engineering innovations.
Vogel Module Installation Change
- At Vogel 3 and 4, module assembly methods changed between builds to ease installation.
- Building partially complete modules for Vogel 4 accelerated construction compared to Vogel 3.