Ukrainian War Refugee to Microreactor Entrepreneur: Building the N1 with Jonas Helwig
Key Takeaways
- Jonas Helwig shares his incredible journey from fleeing the war in Ukraine to co-founding Nuclearis Energy as a microreactor entrepreneur.
- The N1 micromodular reactor was initially sketched out on a napkin during dinner conversations with a neighbor in Buenos Aires who happened to be a nuclear manufacturer.
- The N1 design addresses the critical efficiency problem that makes traditional microreactors uneconomical by working backwards from spent fuel management.
- Air-cooling technology significantly expands the geographic possibilities and deployment locations for modern nuclear energy.
- Companies like Nuclearis are driving innovation as the nuclear industry experiences a major push to bridge the workforce shortage.
Jonas Helwig is Swedish-born, French-passport-holding, and was living in Ukraine when the war started. He fled with his wife and their newborn daughter, ended up in Buenos Aires by accident, and his neighbor turned out to be a nuclear energy manufacturer.
Over dinner conversations with a pen and paper, they sketched out the N1, and Jonas joined the company. That's how Nuclearis Energy started.
In this episode, Jonas walks us through the N1 micromodular reactor: what it is, how it solves the efficiency problem that makes most microreactors uneconomical, why air-cooling changes where nuclear can go, how the design process started at the spent fuel and worked backwards, and what a "nuclear renaissance" actually means.
CONNECT WITH JONAS & NUCLEARIS
Jonas Helwig on LinkedIn: Search "Jonas Helwig Nuclearis"
Nuclearis Energy website: https://www.nuclearisenergy.com/
Nuclearis on X: Search @nuclearisenergy
Nuclearis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nuclearis-energy/
- Atucha Nuclear Power Plants (Argentina): https://www.iaea.org/PRIS/CountryStatistics/ReactorDetails.aspx?current=388
JOIN THE NUCLEAR WORKFORCE
Companies like Nuclearis are gearing up for major engineering hiring. And across the industry, the nuclear workforce shortage is real, the sector needs people now.
Nuclear Talent Scout connects skilled candidates with nuclear employers.
Apply here: https://forms.clickup.com/20124732/f/k651w-5551/4VA92A2B0QA0RJEHJB
ABOUT NAKED NUCLEAR
Naked Nuclear is the podcast that pulls back the curtain on the nuclear industry — no hype, no fear, just real conversations with the people doing the work. Hosted by Danielle Allen.
Website: www.nakednuclear.com
**Naked Nuclear** strips down nuclear energy so it actually makes sense. New episodes weekly. 🎙️ [Listen on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1781924674) · [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@TheNakedNuclearPodcast) 💡 Curious about nuclear careers? Visit [nakednuclear.com](https://www.nakednuclear.com) for episodes, resources, and guest spotlights.Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jonas Helwig?
Jonas Helwig is a Swedish-born, French-passport-holding entrepreneur who fled war-torn Ukraine with his family and became a microreactor entrepreneur by co-founding Nuclearis Energy.
What is the N1 reactor?
The N1 is an innovative micromodular reactor designed to solve the economic and efficiency challenges plaguing traditional microreactors, featuring air-cooling and a design process that started at spent fuel and worked backwards.
How did Nuclearis Energy start?
Nuclearis Energy began when Jonas Helwig ended up in Buenos Aires after fleeing Ukraine and sketched out the N1 reactor over dinner with his neighbor, who was a nuclear energy manufacturer.