Gigawatts Now.
Nuclear Baseload Next.
USP&E and BAM Energy have launched BridgePower Nuclear to transition mines, industrials and data centres from thermal power to modular nuclear.
Two firms. One mandate.
The joint venture
BridgePower Nuclear is a joint venture between USP&E and BAM Energy, established in 2026 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. USP&E brings the operational backbone. BAM Energy brings the reactor.
USP&E
The Operator
Proven power assets, deployed worldwide.
USP&E brings more than two decades of African frontier power delivery experience to the venture. Founded in 2002, the company has delivered more than 150 power stations across more than 45 countries, serving mining, oil and gas, industrial, utility and data centre clients in challenging operating environments. The company says its SmartPower predictive analytics platform has delivered a 26% reduction in downtime across monitored sites, while its operational track record includes ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 certification.
- Engineering
- EPC & EPCM
- Asset Inventory
- Site O&M
- IPP & Rentals
- AI-powered Digital Twins
BAM Energy
The Reactor
Twenty years, one reactor philosophy.
BAM Energy is a US based engineering consultancy specialising in the power utility, mining, and nuclear industries. BAM contributes the modular nuclear pathway, the Pearl reactor platform and two decades of pebble-bed SMR development, and are targeting first Pearl module deployment from 2029, subject to customer agreements, site selection, regulatory approvals and project financing.
- SMR development
- Nuclear fuels
- Engineering
- simulation modelling
The principals
Leadership
Nine principals from the founding teams, spanning reactor physics, thermo-fluids, commercial deployment and capital strategy.
USP&E
The Operator
Will Gruver
Chairman & Founder
Herman Schoeman
Group CEO
Marius Von Wielligh
Chief Operating Officer
John Gruver
MD North America & Group CFO
BAM Energy
The Reactor
Dr. Yvotte Brits
President & CEO
Martin-David Coetzee
Chief Project Officer
Louis Raath
Chief Commercial Officer
Dr. Werner van Antwerpen
Chief Strategy Officer
Dr. Leon Malan
ThermoFluids and Numerics Engineer
Industrialisation needs power that arrives on schedule
The Problem
Africa is building the industrial base to serve more than 1.5 billion people, and every mine, data centre, factory, port and city needs reliable, affordable, and dispatchable power. The supply is not keeping pace.
10yr
Grid queues
Interconnection and new-build timelines stretch a decade. Industrial investment cannot wait that long for a connection that may never come
$200
THE DIESEL TAX, PER MWh
Mines and industry fall back on diesel at punishing cost. It is expensive, exposed to fuel logistics, and impossible to scale cleanly.
5 to 10
YEARS TO MOST SMRs
Interconnection and new-build timelines stretch a decade. Industrial investment cannot wait that long for a connection that may never come
Three products. One continuous asset.
What we deliver
A single structure that powers your load from year one and carries it all the way to clean baseload, with no gap and no stranded capital.
01 · Fast-Tracked Thermal
Gigawatt-scale power, on-site in 12 to 24 months.
The thermal phase is designed to be deployed within 12 to 24 months, using gas, diesel, HFO or dual-fuel generation depending on site requirements.
02 · Bridge
A hybrid that protects your capital.
Assets co-locate with Pearl reactors through a thermal storage loop. The site dispatches continuously while the nuclear fleet scales. No rip-and-replace, no downtime, no stranded assets during the shift from thermal to nuclear.
03 · Nuclear
Factory-built Pearl SMRs.
From 2029, BridgePower Nuclear plans to phase in Pearl SMR modules, subject to customer agreements, site selection, regulatory approvals and project financing.
WHY USP&E?
Bridge power is not bought on slogans. It is bought on dispatch.
USP&E has spent 24+ years putting real megawatts on real African sites, from Mali and Togo to Liberia and South Africa. The Pearl reactor team draws on two decades of South African pebble-bed reactor experience, including the High Temperature Test Unit. This is not a foreign concept imported to the continent. It is built here.
- OEM-agnostic: the right machine for your site, fuel and frequency
- Full EPC and long-term O&M under one accountable team
- Documentation and guarantees structured for project finance and DFIs
Built for the loads driving Africa's growth.
Who this is for
Mining & Industrials
Reliable behind-the-meter power for energy-intensive sites, replacing costly and exposed diesel.
Data Centres
Firm, behind-the-meter power for hyperscale and AI compute loads, online in months while grid connections stall for years.
Utilities & Governments
The power block is deployed and online, carrying your full load while everything else is built around it.
IPPs & Developers
A bankable, PPA-ready generation partner with a clean transition story your offtakers will back.
Banks & DFIs
Documentation, guarantees and an operating record structured for project finance and due diligence.
Frequently asked
The questions a serious buyer asks.
What is BridgePower Nuclear?
BridgePower Nuclear is a joint venture between USP&E and BAM Energy. It delivers immediate gigawatt-scale dispatchable power with a contracted path to factory-built nuclear, combining 25 years of dispatchable-power delivery across Africa and beyond with 20 years of small modular reactor engineering.
How fast can you put power on my site?
USP&E sizes a bankable, OEM-agnostic gas and engine power block from 15 GW of owned and controlled inventory, delivering around 1 GWe of dispatchable power on site in 12 to 24 months. It can be grid-tied or run fully behind the meter, and it is PPA-ready today.
When will the Pearl SMRs deliver power?
First Pearl modules are scheduled to go live in 2029, subject to customer agreements, site selection, regulatory approvals and project financing. Until then, USP&E’s power equipment carries the full load, so the site generates from year one and never waits on the nuclear timeline.
Is this bankable for project finance and DFIs?
Yes. USP&E structures documentation, warranties and performance guarantees for project finance, and brings a 25 year, 150-plus project operating record across 35 or more countries to support due diligence.
Want to learn more?
Visit the BridgePower Nuclear website.