Balerion Principal Aidan Daoussis sits down with Jacob Stedman, CEO of Blykalla, to discuss advanced nuclear reactors and scalable power. Blykalla is developing compact, lead-cooled small modular reactors designed for factory production and deployment by truck. The conversation covers the technology’s roots in Soviet submarine reactors, Blykalla’s corrosion-resistant materials, passive safety, nuclear fuel supply, data-center demand, and the path toward commercial deployment.
00:00 – Introduction to Blykalla and its lead-cooled small modular reactor
03:49 – Nuclear’s resurgence in Europe and the U.S. regulatory environment
07:22 – Blykalla’s origins and the history of lead-cooled submarine reactors
09:46 – Solving liquid-lead corrosion through advanced materials
11:59 – Why advanced nuclear is accelerating: demand, regulation, and capital
15:27 – Nuclear safety, public perception, and lessons from major accidents
21:33 – Passive safety and how Blykalla’s reactor responds without operator action
24:49 – Addressing nuclear construction costs and spent-fuel waste
29:54 – Blykalla’s roadmap from demonstration reactor to commercial deployment
32:10 – Data centers, decentralized nuclear power, and smaller emergency planning zones
35:33 – Factory manufacturing and mass production of reactor systems
37:15 – Scaling bottlenecks: regulation, enrichment capacity, and HALEU
41:09 – Competitive landscape and where different reactor sizes fit
44:22 – Partnerships with Oklo, suppliers, and joint technology development
46:00 – Market risks, AI-driven electricity demand, and nuclear policy
47:34 – Global nuclear expansion and competition with Russia and China
50:45 – Closing takeaway: how advanced reactors aim to address nuclear’s historical limitations
