The consensus is absolute:
America needs new nuclear, ASAP.
But the hardware is missing.
The Trade Offs
We analyzed the SMR field. While the ambition is correct, the physics of current designs force a series of difficult compromises. Every architecture faces a distinct bottleneck:
The Pressure Bottleneck
Water-based SMRs rely on high pressure to function. This mandates thick steel vessels and heavy containment structures. It retains the complexity of a construction project rather than the simplicity of a product.
The Materials Bottleneck
Advanced reactors seeking higher efficiency often utilize salts or liquid metals. These coolants introduce significant material challenges—corrosion, chemical reactivity,
or high activation—which complicate operations.
The Fuel Bottleneck
Many next-generation concepts rely on fuels forms (like HALEU) that do not yet exist at industrial scale.
These designs are ready, but their supply chains are not.
There is currently no reactor that addresses all three constraints simultaneously.
The OC Nuclear Standard
Atmospheric Pressure
By moving away from water, we eliminate the need for heavy pressure vessels.
Standard Fuel
We utilize fuel the world already manufactures at scale.
Benign Chemistry
Our coolant is non-corrosive and low-activation. It solves the heat problem without creating a materials problem.
Compact Reactor Building
1/10th the components. Factory built. Seismically isolated.
The Bottom Line
Because we stripped the complexity, we stripped the cost. By tackling the top 200 cost drivers while removing the pressure, the exotic materials, and new fuel supply chain development, OC Nuclear is the only SMR architecture capable of mass deployment in the 2030s.
We are confident – the same cost model that correctly predicted the realized cost of Vogtle and Sanmen AP1000s, as well as the current projected cost of Hinkley-Point C and Darlington SMR, is telling us this is the only chance we have to make nuclear deployable again.