084 Tommi Nyman, Steady Energy
About this episode
Tommi Nyman discusses the potential of small nuclear reactors for district heating and the journey of Steady Energy in the nuclear sector.
Heating accounts for roughly 40% of global energy demand, far more than most people realize. Yet while the conversation around nuclear energy often focuses on electricity, Tommi Nyman, CEO and co-founder of Steady Energy, believes one of nuclear's biggest opportunities lies somewhere much simpler: producing clean, reliable heat. In this episode, Mark Hinaman sits down with Tommi to discuss how his team is developing a new generation of small nuclear reactors designed specifically for district heating. Drawing on experience from CERN, Finland's Olkiluoto 3 project, and leading nuclear research at VTT, Tommi explains why removing the turbine and focusing solely on heat makes reactors simpler, more efficient, and potentially much cheaper to deploy. The conversation explores reactor design, passive safety, underground construction, natural circulation cooling, and how proven light-water technology can be adapted for an entirely new market. The discussion also looks beyond the technology to the business of bringing nuclear innovation to market. Tommi shares Steady Energy's journey from research project to venture-backed startup, the realities of fundraising in the nuclear sector, and…
People in this episode
Host: Mark Hinaman
Guest: Tommi Nyman
Topics covered
- nuclear energy
- district heating
- small nuclear reactors
- energy security
- clean energy
- fundraising in nuclear sector
Keywords
- nuclear reactors
- clean heat
- energy demand
- passive safety
- natural circulation cooling
- decarbonization
- fundraising
- energy innovation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Steady Energy, CERN, VTT
Places: Finland, Olkiluoto 3, Europe
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