As the world continues to seek sustainable energy solutions, the growth and reliance on some renewable energy sources is limited by intermittent supply – only producing power when the sun shines; the wind blows; or the tide flows. To meet the baseload energy requirement and provide greater stability in the transition to green energy, there is growing need for established technologies, such as nuclear, to provide an additional supply of clean and consistent power.
“In the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster, nuclear energy was largely sidelined with concerns for the safety and stability of this technology,” explains Kester Guy Briscoe, Associate Partner for Gerard Daniels. “As the impact of nuclear mishaps is infinitely more significant than with other energy sources, a degree of fear has hindered the growth of this technology. With a similar process used to harness nuclear energy as to unleash it, the threat of misuse has also led to enduring perception issues.”
Despite these challenges, in recent times nuclear has eased its way back into the spotlight as the world navigates low-carbon energy production and grapples with the cost and volatility of global energy supply. “While some countries continue to phase out nuclear energy production, others are scaling up and debating the role of nuclear alongside other established and emerging energy technologies,” Kester continues. “This shift is shaping energy strategies worldwide and allowing the energy sector to rewrite the narrative on nuclear, positioning it as a viable energy alternative that can help to progress the green energy transition.”
Here we consider how nuclear fits into a diverse and transitioning energy mix; the market trends that shape this agenda; and the people challenges and opportunities that nuclear energy brings.
Bringing nuclear energy back to the table
Energy security
A range of macroeconomic, geopolitical, environmental and social factors contribute to energy insecurity, but there is a role for nuclear in creating stability. “Growing nuclear production helps countries to diversify their energy supply; improve energy security; reduce the reliance on individual energy sources and minimise the risk of disruption,” says Kester.
Achieving a clean, diverse and reliable energy supply
A smooth transition to green energy requires diverse energy sources. However, when escalating conflict disrupted energy supply across Europe, Germany’s reliance on Russian natural gas – together with a substantial power requirement as a highly industrialised nation – steered the country back towards coal. “Despite a growing renewable energy portfolio, Germany found that it lacked other viable alternatives when its access to Russian Gas was interrupted” says Kester. “This return to fossil fuels highlights the critical need for building diversity and clean energy alternatives into the energy mix."
Nuclear energy offers a relatively clean and reliable alternative energy source. Hydropower is another great example, but in 2018 the UK found itself in a similar predicament when exceptionally low snowfall in Norway restricted this energy supply. A failure on the North Sea Link (which transmits Norway’s excess power to the UK) caused further supply disruption in October 2024. “As an established and typically reliable power source, Norwegian hydropower provides critical diversity and backup energy supply to the UK,” says Kester. “These challenges demonstrate the interconnectivity of global energy markets and just how easily they can be disrupted. They also stress the need for achieving energy reliability and diversity, in equal measure.”
Other macro factors shaping nuclear energy, include:
- Global political instability and ongoing regional conflicts continue to drive volatility in the price and supply of energy, increasing the need for a diverse and reliable energy mix. This is particularly challenging for countries that rely heavily on imported fuel.
- Nuclear energy can be used to power hydrogen production at a competitive cost, growing demand for nuclear energy and for low or zero carbon emission hydrogen.
- If small modular reactor (SMR) technology continues to advance, it could speed up the production of nuclear energy, reducing the burden of large capital costs and lengthy construction schedules; attracting more investment; and bringing smaller scale nuclear power solutions to locations outside of the grid.
- In countries such as the UK, France, India and UAE, growing private and public sector funding for nuclear energy is advancing this technology, speeding up the supply to consumers and businesses, also theoretically benefitting these economies.
People challenges and opportunities
The talent challenge: Aligning talent with the ebb and flow of demand
Realising nuclear energy opportunities in an already tight labour market, requires a proactive and long-term view of talent development, attraction, retention and reattraction. “The nuclear sector is smaller today than it was 10-15 years ago, which, from a talent perspective, means that many people once considered experts are no longer in this field. Equally, as there are fewer opportunities for exposure at the start of people’s careers, this is reducing the rate at which this expertise is replaced,” says Kester. “Gerard Daniels is familiar with this challenge, having worked with many organisations across our energy and mining practices, that need to plan around the impact of commodity cycles.”
Navigating talent demand and supply
Bringing in new talent to replenish the bottom of the pyramid; knowing how to effectively downsize during downturns; and how to expand with the right talent through upswings, are consistent challenges for all industrial sector organisations. “Talent attraction and retention in mining, nuclear and broader energy markets where technical expertise isn’t easily or quickly gained, often requires business leaders to tap into latent talent pools,” says Kester. “As talent can’t be acquired where it cannot be accessed or doesn’t exist, connecting with a specialist search firm with traction in nuclear and deep talent networks, is a great way to achieve this.”
Career development
To understand and be ready for the opportunities that nuclear energy holds, it’s important for the talent market to grow and diversify its experience in a targeted way. This may include actively seeking roles outside of or in other parts of the energy sector, including opportunities in decarbonisation.
It’s also important to remember that when individuals leave nuclear, they may lack continuity of experience in the sector, but they do bring some unique qualities when they return. “Working in other industries allows individuals to develop alternative views and transferable experience,” says Kester. “As an established sector, having access to this diversity of thought, new learnings and approaches, fundamentally benefits nuclear energy businesses. It also helps to foster innovation, breaking down industry-specific biases and challenging ingrained ways of working.”
Maintaining professional networks and staying across industry developments also ensures talent is ready to return to nuclear when demand picks up again. “To stay connected, leaders must systematically keep in touch with industry contacts and former colleagues that are still embedded in the sector,” says Kester.
Gerard Daniels has a proven track record in connecting the right leadership talent with the right opportunities, both within and outside of the energy sector. Reach out to the Gerard Daniels team for advice on moving back into nuclear; or attracting and develop the right leadership talent to grow your energy business.
