An Introduction to Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation, the Micro Modular Reactor, and Fully Ceramic Microencapsulated Fuel

with Roland Backhaus, 
Executive VP, USNC

February 16, 2024, 10:10 am
Room 6-051, VTRC

For remote access, please register here.

The resurgence of the desirability of civil nuclear power has given rise to varied Generation 3+ and Generation 4 reactor technologies of varied sizes and capabilities. Such technologies include “small modular reactors” (“SMRs”) which tend to be water-cooled, and “advanced reactors”, which tend to be cooled by fluids other than water. Both SMRs and Advanced Reactors are being developed and deployed in a wide range of capacities, from individual microreactors to larger grid-scale designs.

Mr. Backhaus will present Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation’s Micro Modular Reactor (“MMR”), a gas-cooled, graphite-moderated micro reactor and its proprietary Fully Ceramic Micro Encapsulated (“FCM”) fuel. Mr. Backhaus will discuss (1) the reactor technology, (2) the fuel technology, (3) the applications of the MMR, (4) USNC’s business model, (5) the status of current deployments, (6) the status of licensing engagements, among other related topics. The presentation will conclude that micro reactors are well positioned not only for niche markets, but also for widespread deployment, including but not limited to grid scale generation, process heat applications, hydrogen and ammonia production applications, data center applications, remote communities and mining applications, district heating applications, and desalination applications.

Roland Backhaus is the Executive Vice President of Strategic Engagements for Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) and is based in Washington, DC. In that capacity, Mr. Backhaus engages with internal stakeholders and external stakeholders, including international and domestic governmental entities, strategic partners, and customers to promote the company’s success in the United States and abroad.

Prior to joining USNC, Mr. Backhaus was a nuclear energy regulatory and transactional attorney at several international law firms and advised foreign governments and foreign and domestic clients on various aspects of developing domestic nuclear power programs and related infrastructure, including vendor procurement, agreements for the construction, operation, and fueling of nuclear power units, and the protection of sensitive technical and corporate information.

Mr. Backhaus is a technically-trained nuclear engineer and served as an officer on the USS FLORIDA, a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School (JD), George Mason University (MA), the US Navy Nuclear Power Program, and the U.S. Naval Academy (BS).