Cypress Envirosystems and Southern Company wins first ever UN innovation award for nuclear plants

Posted September 24th 2024

Five years ago, nuclear power was on the road to extinction – plants were closing every year.  Many hoped that solar, wind and other renewable sources would be sufficient to power a net-zero future. But we were mistaken.

Today, with AI data centers devouring huge amounts of energy while the impact of climate change is more evident than ever, existing nuclear plants represent a carbon-free and reliable form of energy that we cannot ignore.  Last year, the United Nations COP 28 report formally recognized the key role that nuclear energy plays in the fight against climate change. Rather than shutting down old nuclear plants, we must now make them more safe, efficient and cost effective to last for decades in the future.

It is within this context that the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) created the first ever Innovation Award to improve existing nuclear plants.  39 candidates from 9 countries competed for four awards. On September 17th, the IAEA declared Cypress Envirosystems and Southern Company a winner. Hank Strahley, Operations Support Supervisor from Southern Company, and Harry Sim, CEO of Cypress Envirosystems, received the award at the UN Headquarters in Vienna. The IAEA recognized the proven benefits resulting from the deployment of 300 Wireless Gauge Readers at Plant Hatch, leveraging IoT, Machine Vision and AI technologies.

At Cypress, we are honored for the opportunity to support the global nuclear industry, and we are especially fortunate to work with an innovative and forward-looking utility like Southern.

See the award winning submission here.

Learn more about the IAEA General Session in Vienna here:
Summary of United Nations 68th IAEA General Session
IAEA Innovation to Support Operating Plants (ISOP) working group