Powering the Future with Yesterday’s Nuclear Waste: Hexana’s Big Bet

Reactor Podcast

What if tomorrow’s clean energy came from yesterday’s nuclear waste? In this episode, we explore Hexana, a French deep tech startup developing a next-generation small modular reactor (SMR) designed to decarbonize heavy industries like steel, chemicals, and even green hydrogen production.

Hexana’s sodium-cooled fast reactor doesn’t just generate high-temperature heat and clean electricity—it also burns nuclear waste, including depleted uranium and recycled plutonium, dramatically reducing high-level waste while extracting far more energy. Their SMR design revives France’s proven Phoenix and Superphénix technology in a modular, factory-scalable form, with a smart twist: a built-in thermal battery to store heat and balance grid or industrial demand.

Founded in 2023 as a spinout from France’s CEA atomic research lab, Hexana’s team of 40 engineers is bringing decades of nuclear expertise to life in a product that could fundamentally reshape how industry is powered.

Tune in to discover how Hexana plans to turn legacy waste into a low-carbon, high-impact energy source—and why this isn’t just sci-fi, but a credible clean energy contender.

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