Building out the energy transition

With a deep background in utility operations, infrastructure and supply chain management, I bring extensive expertise in modernising power plants, enhancing output, extending operational lifespan, optimising fuel efficiency, conducting financial modelling, and managing large-scale new build projects.

During my career, I have led complex plant improvement initiatives, ensuring that ageing infrastructure continues to deliver reliable and efficient power. My expertise in fuel optimisation has helped drive cost efficiencies and sustainability, enhancing both operational performance and long-term viability.  

Beyond technical execution, my work in financial modelling has been instrumental in strategic decision-making, balancing investment priorities, lifecycle costs, and future energy demands. More recently, I have managed a large-scale new build infrastructure project, from component manufacturing to installation and construction, while navigating regulatory frameworks, engineering complexities, and stakeholder requirements to bring critical infrastructure to life.  

Passionate about energy investment and sustainable infrastructure, I focus on optimising resource utilisation, driving innovation, and shaping the future of global energy projects. My work spans collaborating with investors, policymakers, and technical teams to develop resilient infrastructure strategies that align with economic growth and environmental sustainability.

Let’s connect to explore synergies in utility operations, energy investment, and infrastructure transformation, and supply chain strengthening and optimisation.

Ruan Steyn

Many people believe uranium is rare 

The reality?

Uranium is far more abundant than gold or silver.

Since uranium powers nuclear reactors, many assume it’s scarce or difficult to find.

Here’s a clearer look at where the world’s uranium actually sits (World Nuclear Association, 2023 update):

Global Uranium Reserves (2021)
The top three countries - Australia, Kazakhstan, Canada - hold over 50% of all known economic resources.

• Australia - 28% (1.7M t)
Home to Olympic Dam, the world’s largest uranium deposit - which is also the 4th-largest copper resource on the planet.

• Kazakhstan - 13% (815k t)
The world’s dominant producer continues to anchor global supply.

• Canada - 10% (589k t)
High-grade Athabasca Basin deposits remain some of the richest ever discovered.

Two important points often overlook:

1. Known uranium reserves keep increasing

In the last decade alone, identified resources grew roughly 25% thanks to improved exploration and extraction technologies.

2. Uranium is often a by-product - lowering extraction costs

• Olympic Dam produces uranium alongside copper.
• South Africa recovers it from gold-bearing ores.

When uranium rides on the economics of another commodity, costs drop and margins rise - a dynamic often miss.

And one more point: uranium isn’t limited to the land.

Earth’s oceans contain ~4.5 billion tonnes of dissolved uranium - over 1,000× today’s known terrestrial reserves.

Seawater extraction is not yet commercial, but it is technically proven:

• Demonstrated by Japan, the U.S., and China.
• Costs have fallen from ~$1,000/lb to ~$200–400/lb in experimental projects.
• Oceanic uranium is naturally replenished - effectively making it a renewable resource on geological timescales.

This acts as a strategic long-term backstop:

- It places an upper boundary on uranium prices.
- It ensures global reactor fleets can scale for centuries.
- It eliminates the idea that uranium scarcity could constrain nuclear growth.

Why all of this matters:

Understanding uranium’s true resource base isn’t academic - it’s strategic.

As nuclear re-enters the global energy mix (with large scale reactors, SMRs, AI-era baseload demand), secure access to uranium becomes a pillar of national energy security and corporate infrastructure planning.

The more clearly we understand the resource landscape, the better we can plan for a future where nuclear shifts from option → necessity.

Ruan Steyn, MSc (Physics), MBA, PMP

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Water is not only a coolant.

People often overlook its second job.

In a PWR, water does two things at once.

- It cools the reactor core and keeps it safe
- It also slows down neutrons so the chain reaction is maintained 

Simply put, here’s how water works as both coolant and moderator in a Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR):

1. Water as a coolant

- Water flows through the reactor core and transfer heat from the fuel rods
- This hot water is kept under high pressure so it does not boil
- The heat is then transferred to a steam generator, which makes steam to turn turbines and produce electricity
- The water then cycles back to the core to repeat the process
- This closed loop keeps the reactor at a safe temperature

2. Water as a moderator

- Fast neutrons from fission are too quick to maintain the chain reaction
- Water slows these neutrons down to the right speed
- Slower neutrons are more likely to cause fission in uranium fuel
- This keeps the reaction steady and efficient
- Without water as a moderator, the reactor would not work as designed

Water is the unsung hero of PWRs.

It keeps the core cool and the reaction under control.

It does both jobs at the same time, every second.

That’s why water is the heart of every pressurised water reactor.

This week, everyone talked about AI chip shortages

But the real story is electricity

No electricity, no AI.

The AI boom is burning through GPUs, yes.
But GPUs don’t run on optimism - they run on megawatts.

And the world is running out of those much faster.

In the same week we saw headlines warning of a chip crunch, NERC quietly dropped a far more alarming storyline:

Data centres are now shrinking U.S. power reserves and raising blackout risks.

Peak demand: +20 GW this year.
New supply: less than half of that.

This is where the narrative flips:

AI doesn’t face a chip shortage.
AI faces an electricity shortage.

And that changes everything:

• Infrastructure becomes the bottleneck, not GPUs
• Site selection becomes: “Where can I get 300–500 MW, fast?”
• Power reliability becomes an existential risk
• The energy strategy is the AI strategy

So here’s the uncomfortable truth we’ll all be talking about in 2026:

The limiting factor for AI isn’t chips 
It’s generation capacity.

And firm, clean, high-density power - nuclear, advanced reactors, and resilient systems - becomes the competitive edge.

The winners of the AI era won’t just have chips.
They’ll have electricity.

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Energy Infrastructure I MBA, MSc (Physics), PMP I Join 20k+ subscribers stay ahead of the curve

Tripling nuclear power is not a dream.

It is a plan.

And it is already in motion.

Right now, 31 countries have set a bold target: triple global nuclear capacity by 2050. This is not only talk. It is a real, measurable goal, backed by national plans and hard numbers.

Today, there are about 440 nuclear reactors operational worldwide. Together, they generate almost 400 gigawatts of electricity. That is enough to power hundreds of millions of homes. And the number is growing. At least 70 more reactors are being built right now, adding another 77 gigawatts.

But the real story is what comes next.

Governments have set targets for 2050 that add up to 1,363 gigawatts of nuclear power. That is more than triple today’s capacity. It is even higher than the 1,200 gigawatt goal set at COP28 and COP29.

This is not only about numbers. It is about action.

China and the USA are leading the way. Their national goals alone make up more than half of the world’s future nuclear power. Add France, India, and Russia, and these five countries will reach almost 1,000 gigawatts by 2050. The rest of the world is moving too, but these countries are the engine.

Getting there will not be easy. It will take:

1. Leadership and strategic action
2. Streamlined regulatory frameworks  
3. Significant investment and accessible financing across the entire nuclear value chain
4. Accelerated deployment 
5. A larger, highly skilled workforce
6. Robust, resilient, and diversified supply chain
7. Strengthening the nuclear fuel cycle - from mining to fuel fabrication

This is an ambitious undertaking - but it is absolutely achievable.

Tripling global nuclear capacity is within reach. The momentum is real, and the imperative is clear.

The world needs clean, reliable, 24/7 energy. Nuclear is ready to deliver it - safely, affordably, and at scale
 
This is our chance to build a safer, cleaner, and more secure energy future.

The path is clear.

The time is now.

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Source of graph: World Outlook Report 2050, World Nuclear Association - Global nuclear capacity (GWe) up to 2050

Powering the Future: Utilities & Energy Infrastructure I MBA, MSc (Physics), PMP I Join 20k+ subscribers stay ahead of the curve

Uranium enrichment is the hidden engine behind nuclear power.

It’s a process that turns UF6 into fuel for reactors.

And it all starts with a simple gas.

Here’s how it works:

1. The Gas Centrifuge Method

Uranium is first converted into a gas called uranium hexafluoride (UF6).

This gas is fed into tall, spinning cylinders called gas centrifuges.

Inside each centrifuge, the gas spins at high speed.

Because uranium-238 is slightly heavier than uranium-235, the heavier atoms move toward the outer edge.

The lighter uranium-235 atoms stay closer to the centre.

This tiny difference is the key.

2. Separation and Cascades

Each centrifuge only makes a small difference.

To get enough separation, thousands of centrifuges are connected in series, called a cascade.

The process splits the gas into two streams:

• One stream is enriched in uranium-235 (what we want)
• The other is uranium-238

The enriched stream goes through more centrifuges until it reaches the right level for nuclear fuel.

3. From Gas to Fuel Pellets

Once the uranium is enriched, it’s still in gas form.

It’s shipped to a fuel fabrication plant.

There, the gas is turned into a black powder called uranium dioxide.

This powder is pressed into small, hard pellets.

These pellets are loaded into metal tubes to make fuel rods.

These fuel rods are then assembled in a structure called the fuel assembly for use in the reactor.

Every step, from spinning gas to finished fuel, is precise and controlled.

The enrichment of uranium is a blend of chemistry, physics, and engineering.

In the AI era, the strongest moat isn’t IP 

It’s firm electricity supply.

For decades, tech built moats through software, data, and distributed networks.

But AI has rewritten the rulebook.

When your compute clusters draw hundreds of megawatts, your competitive edge shifts from clever code… to guaranteed electrons.

Here’s the reality emerging in 2025 - 2026:

1. GPUs don’t scale without power
AI models are doubling in size faster than utilities can add generation.

2. Megawatts are now a strategic asset.
Data-centre growth is now restricted by available megawatts, not market demand.

3. Energy reliability becomes existential.
You can’t run frontier AI on “maybe” power.

And this is where the conversation turns.

The companies that win the next decade aren’t the ones with the most GPUs… but the ones with the most dependable, scalable, 24/7 power.

This creates a new hierarchy:
- If you control your energy, you control your compute.
- If you control your compute, you control your models.
- If you control your models, you control your moat.

This is why nuclear baseload - is no longer a “nice to have” in energy strategy.

It’s becoming a core element of AI strategy.

The new frontier isn’t talent.
It’s not even chips.
It’s energy abundance.

In an AI-driven world, the most valuable companies will be those that secure firm, clean, high-density power - at scale - for decades.

The winners of the AI era won’t just have algorithms.
They’ll have electricity.

The future belongs to the builders

The ones who build what lasts

Reactors, rockets, or digital infrastructure

Here’s how the best builders do it:

1. Starting from first principles

In nuclear, nothing is taken for granted 
You break every problem down to the basics 
You rebuild from the ground up, using physics, not opinions

2. Develop deliberately. Don’t scale the unproven

In nuclear, you don’t rush. You test, you validate, you prove 
You don’t build big until you know it works small
This is how you build trust. This is how you make progress that lasts

3. Engineer for extreme reliability

Failure is not an option when lives are at stake
Every part, every process, every system is built to survive
You design for the worst day, not just the best day

4. Optimise for simplicity

Complexity is the enemy 
Every extra part is a risk
The best systems are simple, clear, and easy to fix 

5. Build for the long term 

Short-term wins fade
Long-term thinking creates legacies
You build for the next generation
You plan for change, for growth, for the unknown 

Bonus: Attract mission-driven talent

People want to work on what matters
They want to solve hard problems
They want to build what lasts
Mission-driven teams outlast and outperform

This mindset is not only for reactors and rockets. 

It works for anything you want to build that lasts and matters.

First principles
Patience
Precision
Resilience
The long view

Most people think AI is picking cities.

It’s not.

It’s picking megawatts.

The new AI economy is not about location.

It’s about power.

AI is moving to places where electricity is cheap, fast, and clean.

This is the new reality:

AI is not just using more power.
It is changing what utilities do.
Utilities are no longer just keeping the lights on.
They are now the backbone of the AI economy.

Here’s what’s happening:

1. AI is driving a surge in electricity demand

- Data centres need huge amounts of power to run AI models
- The biggest AI companies are searching for stable, affordable energy

2. Utilities are becoming AI’s most important partners

- They must deliver power that is fast, reliable, and clean
- Utilities that can do this attract the world’s top AI companies

3. The best utilities are turning into AI hubs

- Regions with strong, clean grids are seeing a boom in investment
- New jobs, new infrastructure, and new industries are following the power

4. Clean energy is now a competitive edge

- AI companies want to lower their carbon footprint
- Utilities that offer clean energy win the biggest deals

5. The future of AI is being built out 

- Electricity is the new currency for AI growth
- Utilities that adapt will lead the next wave of innovation

Key takeaways:

- The AI boom is an electricity boom
- Utilities are now at the centre of tech growth
- Clean, fast, reliable power is the new gold rush

If you want to understand where AI is going next, follow the megawatts.

That’s where the future is being built.

AI isn't another tech trend.

It is the new backbone of nations.

The next wave of infrastructure is here.

AI is now the fourth pillar. Roads, power grids, telecoms, and now - AI. This is not hype. This is the new reality.

Nations that build AI capacity will move faster in every field:

• GDP growth
• National defense
• Healthcare breakthroughs
• Scientific progress
• Digital independence

But this time, the bottleneck is not steel, land, or fiber.

It is energy.

AI needs electricity. Not just any electricity. It needs firm, clean, and always-on energy. Data centres must run 24/7. AI inference never sleeps.

The old playbook of infrastructure does not work here. You cannot just lay more cables or pour more concrete. You need a new energy strategy.

Every country faces the same challenge:
Can you deliver non-stop, clean power for AI?

This is the new test of national strength.

The winners will be those who solve the energy puzzle. They will lead in science, security, and the global economy. They will set the rules for the digital age.

The future is not about who has the most data. It is about who can power the most intelligence.

AI is the new infrastructure. Energy is the new bottleneck. The race has started.

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Turning complex energy projects into value-generating assets I Weekly nuclear newsletter: Join 5k+ subscribers stay ahead of the curve

Since the last edition COP30 was held in Brazil, with Rwanda and Senegal joined the pledge to triple global nuclear capacity by 2050, bringing the tot

Open article: Uranium Pulse #8: COP30, Nuclear expansion & Asian development bank financing shift by Ruan Steyn, MSc (Physics), MBA, PMP • 1 min read

Uranium Pulse #8: COP30, Nuclear expansion & Asian development bank financing shift

It’s been a high-impact week since the last edition. From the UK’s Final Investment Decision on Sizewell C to the SMR deployment announcement at Wylfa

Open article: Uranium Pulse #7: UK nuclear expansion, US recognition of Uranium as a critical mineral, and Sweden's vote to lift its mining ban  by Ruan Steyn • 1 min read

Uranium Pulse #7: UK nuclear expansion, US recognition of Uranium as a critical mineral, and Sweden's vote to lift its mining ban

As we move into December, with Nuclear Day on the 2nd - themed “Power the Planet, Sustain Our Future” under the campaign banner “Energizing the Future

Open article: Edition #9 - 6 Dec 2025 by Ruan Steyn, MSc (Physics), MBA, PMP • 2 min read

Energy used to be a utility.

Now it’s a growth engine.

Here’s the reality of AI‑driven infrastructure:

The future belongs to those who can scale energy investments with speed. 

Nuclear, long‑duration assets, AI‑energy zones, and advanced grids aren’t just technologies - they’re competitive advantages.

Energy performance = business performance
Generation strategy = growth strategy

This is the new reality.

I pulled a familiar book off my shelf this week 

And instantly remembered why it lived on the “special” shelf.

Adam Grant’s Hidden Potential.

I didn’t plan to reread it. I just picked it up, flipped a page… and suddenly I was 40 pages in, nodding along like it was the first time.

The opening idea hits you right between the eyes:

Potential isn’t a fixed trait. It’s a trajectory - shaped by environment, effort, and iteration.

And it made me think about how often we get this wrong in business, engineering, and leadership.

We obsess over “talent.”
We hunt for unicorns.
We treat ability like a rare metal that has to be discovered, mined, and protected.

But Grant flips the script:

The world overvalues talent and massively undervalues the systems that develop it.

What actually matters?

• Learning systems that accelerate growth
• Good coaching that tightens feedback loops
• Supportive cultures that make people take smart risks
• Structured practice that compounds improvement
• Environments where capability scales, not stalls

It’s such a simple shift in mindset:

Stop asking “Who has talent?”
Start asking “Who has the conditions to grow?”

And when you look at high-performing teams - whether in nuclear, data centres, AI, or any fast-moving environment - this pattern repeats again and again.

Grant leaves you with a few reminders that feel even more relevant today:

• Don’t search for prodigies - build environments that create them.
• Don’t optimise for stars - remove friction so everyone can rise.
• Don’t obsess over starting points - trajectory beats initial ability.
• Don’t fear difficulty - struggle is data, not danger.
• Don’t play for perfection - play for continuous improvement.

It’s a book about human potential…
But it’s also a playbook for leaders building teams, companies, and whole sectors.

And sometimes the right book on the right shelf has a way of reminding you why you put it there in the first place.

Replication in action at Sizewell C: leveraging Hinkley Point C’s proven blueprint to accelerate delivery, reduce risk, and power six million UK homes with low-carbon energy

Replication in action at Sizewell C ⚙️

Replication is a key part of our delivery strategy, applying the proven design, technology and experience from Hinkley Point C to cut risk, save time and reduce costs.

This approach is already delivering results with a major milestone achieved — the signing of the turbine contract with Arabelle Solutions.

By securing this agreement early in the project timeline, Arabelle Solutions can begin manufacturing and fabricating the two turbines ahead of schedule, with production set to start in 2026.

Together, the turbines at Sizewell C will generate 3.2 GW of reliable, low-carbon electricity — enough to power six million homes across the UK.

This proactive step means the turbines will be delivered to site ahead of need, supporting a smooth construction schedule and strengthening confidence as we move into the site build phase.

Replication in action means building on proven success to deliver better, faster and with lower risk.

Watch for more 🎥

#SizewellC #Replication #NuclearEnergy #CleanEnergy #UKInfrastructure

AI is rewriting what a “utility” actually is

With AI loads grow faster than utilities can plan.

For fifty years, utilities operated on a simple model:
Predict demand → build capacity → keep the lights on.

That world is gone.

AI has introduced a new kind of load - one that thinks, accelerates, and scales faster than any planning model ever built.

And suddenly, utilities aren’t just power suppliers… they’re becoming part of the compute stack.

Here’s the shift:

- From energy providers → real-time compute enablers

Data centres no longer ask “What’s your tariff?”
They ask “Can you deliver 300–500 MW, continuously, by Q4?”

- From 10-year forecasts → 10-month demand shocks

AI workloads double in size before assets even break ground.

- From grid operators → infrastructure strategists

Utilities now shape national competitiveness, industrial growth, and digital capacity.

Working at the Koeberg utility taught me this first-hand: in high-reliability environments, you build systems and processes that surface issues early - long before they become operational risks.

That mindset is exactly what AI-scale utilities now need.

Forecasting once a year won’t cut it; the future is continuous decision intelligence, where utilities are becoming digital energy platforms - blending power engineering, market design, and AI-driven optimisation.

This is the future emerging in front of us:

If you control reliable, clean power…
you control compute.

If you control compute…
you control the next decade of economic growth.

Utilities aren’t behind the AI wave.
They’re the infrastructure that unlocks it.

Curious how others are seeing this play out across the industry 👇

What’s the biggest driver for extending nuclear plant life (LTO)?

Which infrastructure constraint slows AI scaling the most?

I am a retired business owner and a real-life citizen nuclear advocate, and the author of the novel Chain Reaction: A Story About Power, Politics, and Passion in an Energy-Starved World. I am working on the second novel in the series now. My themes are disruption based. What would happen if nuclear energy experienced an overnight twenty-year leap in its technology? I asked a lot of people in the industry that question and got into some fascinating discussions. 
A number of engineers and physicists informed me I would require a new alloy with amazing properties, but not too different than alloys being developed now at Idaho National Labs. Sartorium is that fictional alloy which allows me to solve multiple problems at once. The weight and mass of the required shielding limits portability. With Sartorium we remove that real life obstacle, along with other present day high bars like neutron economy. The result is a plausible reactor that is extremely powerful, small, light, safe and inexpensive.
Such a breakthrough would turn the geopolitical world on its collective head, threaten centers of power, and realign society at every level. The cast of characters in such a plot take on a life of their own, and the disruption challenges their worldviews, sense of right and wrong, and provides a battle ground where good and evil come into conflict.
Ultimately people love a good story. It’s about time we started making nuclear energy an engaging part of popular culture.

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