Benjamin Ptak, Physicist, Nuclear Engineering Student, Nuclear Advocate
Aiming for 100% Nuclear: Meet the Student Reimagining Luxembourg’s Grid
Nuclear Physicist and nuclear engineering student Benjamin Ptak is pushing to make his native Luxembourg the first country in the world to be entirely powered by nuclear electricity.
Ptak founded the nonprofit Lëtz Atom to advocate for nuclear energy within Luxembourg and the organization hosted the country’s first ever pro-nuclear demonstration on October 26, 2024. The event, with advocates from five countries, held in William’s Plaza, garnered media attention, including from RTL, Luxembourg’s main media outlet.
Growing up in Luxembourg, Ptak attended a French high school before pursuing medical school. He later studied physics at Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris and began a master’s in space science. Long fascinated by energy—especially steam engines—he began researching climate solutions during his studies and came to see nuclear power as a crucial part of the answer, as “not that bat after all”.
Ptak developed a passion for science in high school, which deepened during college after meeting a geophysics professor who studied Earth's gravity to uncover underground materials like iron ore and uranium. Inspired by these conversations, he pursued physics at Pierre and Marie Curie University. Wanting to speak credibly about nuclear energy—especially in his native Luxembourg, where it's controversial—he began studying nuclear engineering to gain formal expertise and hopes to eventually earn a doctorate in the field.
With a population under 700,000, Luxembourg has relatively small electricity demands and relies heavily on imports from Germany, Belgium, and France. 1 large reactor, like Cattenom Nuclear Plant in France (which exports electricity to Luxembourg), could meet the entire country’s needs at a maximum of 1.2 gigawatts. For Ptak, nuclear could provide not only a clean grid but also energy security for the country.
Cattenom Nuclear Plant Tour with international advocates, organized by Benjamin.
“If we were to build just one nuclear reactor like Cattenom, we could be 100% nuclear powered,” Ptak said. “We could gain a lot from that. We could be the best test bed in the world.”
Luxembourg has a persistent, ingrained history of anti-nuclear sentiment. In the 1970s, the government wanted to build a nuclear plant, but the project was stalled due to green opposition. According to Ptak, the country has been “absolutely against” nuclear energy, no matter what, ever since. When France built the Cattenom Nuclear Plant near the Luxembourg border, Luxembourg residents protested, claiming the imported electricity would become radioactive.
More recently, however, Ptak says the public is more mixed on the topic of nuclear. While anti-nuclear green stalwarts still exist, he said many people are unsure about the topic but open to conversation and considering arguments for the energy source. Ptak added the greens are becoming a minority.
According to Ptak, for Luxembourg to realize a nuclear future, investors must be convinced it is in the best interest of the country. Access to cheap energy from nuclear is in the interest of existing heavy industries within Luxembourg as well as Amazon and Microsoft, who want to build large data centers, Ptak said. With the capital in place, the government can be pressured to approve plants. One large reactor could be bolstered with several SMRs across the country to support heavy industry.
While most people in the government are not against nuclear energy, Ptak said, politicians are largely unwilling to take bold stances in favor of nuclear because they fear it may be political suicide. With Lëtz Atom, Ptak aims to educate politicians and the public and dispel myths of exploding power plants and radiation wiping humanity from the map.
Ptak believes in nuclear applications far beyond electricity.
“I want to start a company in Luxembourg. My goal is to develop technologies linked with nuclear power to solve issues of our time,” Ptak said. “For example, they say in the future, there will be water shortages. You look at how much energy a nuclear power plant can generate, and how you can simply desalinate sea water. [That provides] sufficient water for everyone in the world. And if you have enough energy, you can do basically anything.”
In addition to current nuclear submarines and nuclear aircraft carriers, Ptak views a future with nuclear transport ships as part of a process of making transport cleaner.
Early in his energy journey, Ptak spoke with a nuclear physicist in Luxembourg who tried to convince Ptak that renewables were perfect and “nuclear power is evil.” Ptak dived into his own research on the topic, using data from the European Data Bank, and concluded that nuclear energy is the cheapest option to power society.
Ptak, hoisting the Luxembourg civil flag for a pro-nuclear demonstration at Doel Nuclear Plant.
With more research, Ptak became an earnest, passionate nuclear advocate. A self-professed nerd who has always been interested in science, Ptak wanted to learn more. Ptak is studying nuclear engineering at Penn State University to enhance his credibility in nuclear and learn more about the subject. He plans to receive a doctorate in engineering after graduating from Penn State.
Ptak has organized several tours for nuclear advocates to the nearby Cattenom Nuclear Plant in France, seeing the steam turbine and the control room.
With Lëtz Atom, he plans to host another Stand Up for Nuclear Luxembourg event in September.