Description
TLC ZOOM
Wednesday 25th March 2026 18:00 BST
Nuclear or Bust
Ian Marlow
It is an absolute privilege to welcome back Ian to the TLC rostrum (so to speak). Ian (who hasd been a TLC members for many years) last spoke to us 4 years ago on the subject of “Adapting to change in the Nuclear Industry as we drive for Net Zero.”
That was then – but what have the last 4 years done to colour his opinions, thoughts and views. Catching up with his recent post on LinkedIn gave me the opportunity to invite him to bring a 2026+ perspective – hence the invitation.
Topic
There are many opinions on the future of energy sources in particular electricity with the exponential growth in demand, be that under the banner of climate change, energy security or political and financial stability. There are also a range of views on the economics of nuclear power compared to renewable sources, but at least nuclear is now designated as green energy. Ian will try to present some of the diverse opinions and open up the subject to debate, he certainly doesn’t profess to be the expert! Is nuclear energy really too expensive or will small modular rectors be the golden bullet; is renewable energy really as cheap and green as it is purported to be; how do we maintain Base Load power across the Grid to meet our minimum energy needs 24-7; how do we avoid another complete blackout like across the Iberian Peninsula in April 2025; is the National Grid fit for purpose, and if not what are the options; should we be paying wind power generators (over £1.5Bn in 2025) to turn supply off; are the costs of the National Energy System Operator (ESO) balancing mechanism and indeed the supply and demand financial model for the Grid still fit for purpose?
Discuss!
The overriding question has to be, if we do not invest in nuclear energy, can we all manage and survive? Is it really Nuclear or Bust, or is that just scaremongering?
If there is time, Ian’s other passion is authentic leadership through emotional intelligence and servant leadership and he would be happy to share his thoughts and experiences on where this has been the root cause of failure in business.
Biography
Ian has been Managing Director Nuclear since October 2017, prior to which he was with Serco where he was Sector Director Estates, Training and Resilience within the Defence Division, looking after a diverse range of highly regulated multi-site contracts. These contracts including the Defence Academy, DSTL, the Emergency Planning College, COEFOR (which supported pre-deployment immersive training for units deploying to Afghanistan), and helicopter simulator training at RAF Benson.
During over 8 years as MD Nuclear he has taken a range of contracts through contract renewals, cultural change and transformation, led significant growth of volume and capability internally and including into the wider nuclear market, and the termination programme leading to novation into Dalkia.
Ian stared his career in the Army flying helicopters, having gained a BSc in Mechanical Engineering at Glasgow University and a later a Masters in Guided Weapon Systems. He went on to fulfil a wide range of roles, and active service, including on the Ordnance Board where he looked after the safety of all anti-tank guided weapon systems, in MOD Whitehall where he controlled the funding programme for a wide range of Central programmes including the decommissioning of nuclear submarines, and in the Army Recruiting and Training Division where let over £1Bn of PFI and PPP contracts for the MOD. When Ian left the Army in 2010, he worked for an aviation MRO company and then turnaround consultancy before joining Serco and then latterly Engie that became Equans, then Dalkia on novation.
