TEA-11 Conference in Albuquerque, Oct 14
From October 14-15, 2022, thorium power enthusiasts gathered at the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in Albuquerque, NM to learn from thorium innovators, supporters, and professionals in the nuclear energy industry.
Friday speakers included:
John Kutsch (Director of Thorium Energy Alliance) – Opened the conference and welcomed the attendees, while restating the value of a thorium-powered world in the 21st century.
Charles Hawkins (UNM Professor Emeritus, Affiliate Professor at ECE Florida) – Discussed the limitations of renewable energy as base load generators and detailed the mortality rates of renewable energy workers compared to deaths in the nuclear industry. The nuclear industry has significantly lower mortality rates.
Minghui Chen (Dept. of Nuclear Engineering at UNM) – Discussed research at the University of New Mexico towards fluoride salt lubricated journal bearings and pumps.
Ed McGinnis (CEO of Curio Solutions) – Spoke about NuCycle, Curio’s plan for a large modular compact semi-autonomous nuclear-waste-management facility.
Mike Conley (Writer) – Promoted his new book, Fear of a Nuclear Planet, a nonfiction work that addresses modern misconceptions of nuclear power, including the issues that stem from adherence to the LNT (Linear No Threshold). Did you know an American has a better chance of being shot by their own dog than being harmed by nuclear power?
Bill DeOreo (Aquacraft Inc.) – Talked about the limits of materials usable for molten-salt vessels, showing results of experiments using subpar containment vessels.
Jim Kennedy (Caldera Holdings) – Introduced the economic, national security, and geopolitical ramifications of China’s rare earth monopoly and thorium nuclear energy solutions.
Valerie Gardner (Tiemann Investment Advisors and Nucleation Capital) – Spoke about investment in nuclear energy and brought awareness to climate change.
Rusty Towell (Abilene Christian University, Director of NEXT Lab) – Discussed Nextra’s development of the MSRR (Molten Salt Research Reactor). This reactor aims to use an air pressure seal instead of a freeze valve, and SS-316 instead of Hastelloy-N.
Thomas Pedersen (Copenhagen Atomics) – Talked about Copenhagen Atomic’s development of the Waste Burner Reactor (WBR) and the research of high-temperature salt pumps that will be used in this reactor. They aim to have their first commercial reactor built by 2028.
Attendees at the TEA11 Conference