Introducing Aalo Atomics

Aalo Atomics is a nuclear engineering company created to make reactor deployment highly predictable and economical. We're building a factory-fabricated 10 MWe micro-reactor that will be able to help decarbonize anything from a small datacenter to a large city.

Why nuclear?

Simply put, we won’t reach our clean energy targets without nuclear playing a major role.

While solar and wind have seen terrific growth in the past 20 years, they will soon reach a plateau. This is mostly due to the cost of unreliability and interconnection complexity. The ideal energy mix varies by location, but even in the sunniest or windiest places, we won’t see large grids powered exclusively by solar and wind.

Like solar and wind, nuclear had a rapid expansion in its first 20 years. By the 1960s — 70s, nuclear had become Earth’s cheapest energy source (cheaper than coal at 5¢ / kWh in 2023 dollars). This was the first Atomic Age, and nuclear’s future looked bright.

However, this momentum hit a wall in the 1980s. Climate change was less of a concern then. New energy demand in the West was slowing. The public didn’t feel nuclear was worth its perceived risks. As a result, the regulatory ratchet began to tighten with limited pushback. This caused a regression in nuclear’s economics, and halted innovation (the one thing that can lower costs, while maintaining safety).

But nuclear is coming back into the spotlight in a big way. We are on the verge of a second Atomic Age.

‍

The Second Atomic Age

In the past three years, public sentiment on nuclear has improved rapidly. People are realizing that fear of nuclear waste is misplaced, and that nuclear energy is statistically just as safe as solar and wind. People are seeing that nuclear has been a critical part of any major grid that has successfully decarbonized.

Energy independence has become a critical issue, with nuclear being seen as a primary solution. It’s easy for countries to stockpile years-worth of uranium, whereas oil and gas must be bought and replenished constantly (sometimes from countries you can’t count on).

Many new mining operations will soon be spun up to keep pace with short-term demand for solar and wind. The vast amount of material and land required in this buildout will highlight that nuclear requires the least raw material and land per unit energy produced.

Above all, nuclear goes beyond solving these pressing challenges of the day. It will unlock an even more exciting future full of invention, exploration, and growth, made possible by access to greater quantities of low cost, high density, carbon-free energy.

‍

Our Approach

In the coming months we’ll announce more on our technology choices, business model, and techno-economics. Here are the initial pillars of our strategy:

Regulatory approach

No generation-IV nuclear company has received regulatory approval. This has been a complex issue that the industry has wrestled with for some time. We believe we’ve found a path that can get to regulatory approval efficiently (and completely).

Diversity in backgrounds

In the 1950s, energy was the hottest field you could get into. However, a great deal of talent was lost to newer industries. We plan to hire not only seasoned nuclear industry veterans, but also leaders from computer hardware, software, aerospace, automotive and more. We want to inspire an influx of talent back towards Energy.

Advocacy & education

We believe more nuclear companies should spend time on public outreach, and advocate for why the world needs their technology. We plan to evangelize, and ‘build in public’ as much as possible.

Focus on economics

Every decision we make will centre around economics. Our designs will be optimized for simplicity, manufacturability, and technological readiness. We’re building a team with deep experience to navigate these complexities efficiently.

‍

What does Aalo Atomics stand for?

Vision

To untether humanity’s growth from its impact on Earth, by ushering in the second Atomic Age.

Mission

Achieve 3¢ / kWh cost of electricity, maintaining safety while making nuclear cheap enough to power the majority (>50%) of the world’s clean energy needs.

Values

Urgency. If we’re successful, humanity will benefit. If we fail, humanity will be worse off. Every day counts.

Transparency. We won’t be successful unless we have the public’s trust. Operating with openness is critical.

Empathy. Nuclear is controversial. Don’t dismiss fear as meaningless. Educate people on the true risks, and show them what we’re doing about it.

Bravery. Don’t be afraid to do things differently. Challenge your constraints. This leads to the best outcomes.

Positivity. The one surefire way to guarantee failure is to believe you don’t even have a chance at success in the first place.

What does “Aalo” mean?

Aalo means “the light”. To us, this symbolizes a bright future for humanity.

‍

‍

Subscribe to updates to stay tuned on our progress!