A trio of Sargent & Lundy nuclear industry leaders will discuss advancements in reactor technologies, along with the need for an overarching regulatory framework that keeps pace, during the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Conference for Advanced Reactor Deployment later this month in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Harley Hutchins, Michael Launi, and Maury Pressburger will participate in a series of three panels, bringing representatives from manufacturers, utilities, consulting firms, and government agencies together to discuss the latest trends and insights into the development and deployment of small modular reactor and microreactor technologies.
Pressburger, director of nuclear siting, with more than 40 years of experience in nuclear plant engineering, project management, technical innovation, and industry leadership, will moderate two panels focused on new reactor technology. Pressburger serves on the organizing committee for the CARD 2025 event.
The three-day conference aims to encourage meaningful dialogue and help align industry and policy as manufacturers and utilities seek government permission to begin construction on the next generation of nuclear energy. The Electric Power Research Institute, an independent, nonprofit organization that conducts science and technology-based research and development for the global electric power industry, co-hosts the conference.
Hutchins will present on one of Pressburger’s panels, focusing on the different design aspects of advanced reactors that engineers and manufacturers are developing globally. Advanced reactors share similar design features that are simpler, inherently and/or passively safe, and cost far less to build than traditional large-scale reactors.
Hutchins has nearly 25 years of industry experience and leads advanced reactor technology assessments. He has written or contributed to several technical reports on advanced reactor plants, and nuclear storage installations.
In a panel discussing regulatory modernization and how regulators can update oversight and safety standards to align with new reactor technology, Sargent & Lundy’s Michael Launi, a senior manager with extensive experience in nuclear technology, licensing, safety, and engineering, will review how new reactor designs address safety and may prompt regulators to revise existing regulations.
Sargent & Lundy has pioneered work in the commercial nuclear industry and contributed significantly to the siting, licensing and design of new nuclear power plants since 1954. The firm performs numerous siting feasibility studies, site evaluations, and site characterizations, including coal-to-nuclear conversions, licensing, engineering, and design work for many SMR and AR projects and is supporting their implementation in the U.S. and internationally.