Listen "#289 - Breaking the Ice"
Episode Synopsis
This week, we travel to the edge of the map with Aleksandr Surtcev, an engineer who has crewed Russian nuclear icebreakers along the Northern Sea Route. We explore how Russia’s Arctic fleet keeps this strategic corridor open, why floating nuclear plants are powering remote communities and mines, and what life looks like in a place where polar bears trail ships for fish and resupply markets pop up on the ice. Beneath the stories lies a deeper discussion of geopolitics, engineering, and the hard logistics of operating in one of the most unforgiving regions on Earth.
More episodes of the podcast Decouple
Why Nuclear Shipping Is Inherently Niche
08/01/2026
The Real Stakes of a Saudi Nuclear Deal
02/12/2025
The AP1000 Masterclass
18/11/2025
The Great Nuclear Reshoring
11/11/2025
How China Builds Reactors So Fast
28/10/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.