US nuclear energy innovator NuScale Power Corporation has hired James Canafax as its chief legal officer, just over three months after appointing Shahram Ghasemian to the role.
Canafax was most recently general counsel and chief compliance officer at maritime financing business Maritime Partners. He brings decades of legal experience to NuScale, including in the nuclear industry. As CLO, he will provide guidance on legal, compliance, governance and business development matters.
Corvallis, Oregon-based NuScale Power develops small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear technology, with each reactor unit capable of generating 77 megawatts of electricity.
John Hopkins, NuScale president and CEO, said: “James is an outstanding addition to the NuScale leadership team. His extensive experience in the nuclear industry, deep familiarity with the regulatory environment and track record of guiding organisations through key growth periods make him uniquely suited to support NuScale at this important moment for our company.”
Canafax spent 18 months at Maritime Partners before his departure last year. He previously had spells as GC at oil field services business Gravity, defence and space manufacturing company BWX Technologies and energy business Babcock & Wilcox, having spent more than eight years as assistant GC for transactions and compliance at McDermott International.
He started his legal career at national firm Jones Walker back in 1996.
He said: “NuScale Power has established itself as a global leader in advancing safe, clean and reliable small modular reactor technology. It is the clear frontrunner in the SMR space as the only technology with design approval from the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission), an important and impressive distinction.”
NuScale had appointed Ghasemian as its first CLO back in July, but the company said he resigned this month to pursue other opportunities.
Back in September, another US nuclear energy innovator The Nuclear Company hired Robert Harmon from construction tech business ICON as its first CLO. The Nuclear Company is using AI-driven tech to help modernise the deployment of nuclear power plants.
Meanwhile, back in May US nuclear reactor business Terrestrial Energy hired Brian Romanzo as GC from franchise development business REP’M Group. Terrestrial Energy develops small modular nuclear power plants that are built with advanced reactor technology using molten salt as a coolant instead of water.
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