Inaugural “World Nuclear Forum” held at Tennessee Tech University
The event showcased some of the amazing and emerging initiatives underway in the region.
No one would deny that a nuclear renaissance is underway, fed in part by the power demands of artificial intelligence, and the State of Tennessee is at the forefront of that revolution.
Whether it was this week’s announcement about the power agreement between Kairos Power and Google (see teknovation.biz article here) or the recent announcement that Orano USA would make the largest investment in the history of the Volunteer State (see teknovation.biz article here), Tennessee is clearly leading the renaissance. It is fueled by the $60 million Tennessee Nuclear Opportunity Fund and the work of the Tennessee Nuclear Advisory Council that will submit its final report at the end of October.
On Tuesday in Cookeville, Tennessee Tech University (TTU) hosted the inaugural “World Nuclear Forum” in conjunction with an organization named Congressional Energy Engagement (CEE), and it was clearly a gathering of many of the players that are advancing nuclear energy in Tennessee.
As TTU President Phil Oldham noted, “Leaders lead . . . and all of you do that on a daily basis.”
The event drew two members of Congress: Chuck Fleischmann, who Chairs the House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water, and John Rose, who represents a district that includes TTU.
According to Michelle Asante-Harstine, Chief Executive Officer of CEE, each annual forum will focus on a different country. The inaugural event spotlighted France and featured a keynote address by Dr. Sunil Felix, Nuclear Counselor at the French Embassy in Washington, DC. Romania will be the spotlight at the 2025 event with the date to be announced later.
Calling the event “very timely,” Felix cited two issues that are drivers for his country. One is global warming and climate change, the other is energy security.
Fifty years ago during the Arab Oil Embargo, France imported most of its energy which was oil. Today, there are roughly 60 nuclear plants providing more than 70 percent of the country’s energy needs.
Panel features those making big investments in Oak Ridge
One of the panels held during the Forum featured individuals whose employers are making big investments in Oak Ridge.
- Teasing that he would soon buy a house in Oak Ridge, Jean-Luc Palayer (pictured at the podium), President of Orano USA, talked about the goal of the U.S. of tripling nuclear capacity by 2050. To do so, the nation must increase its current generating capacity that is 100 gigawatts to 300 gigawatts. The company announced in early September that it planned to construct a new, multi-billion-dollar, state-of-the-art centrifuge uranium enrichment facility at the Heritage Center, also known as the East Tennessee Technology Park. It was described in a City of Oak Ridge news release as a multi-structure commercial production site covering approximately 750,000 square feet, making it one of the largest in North America. Facility operations will create more than 300 new direct jobs in Roane County.
- The other participant of that panel with ties to the region was Per Peterson, Chief Nuclear Officer at Kairos Power, who started his brief presentation by stating the company’s mission is to enable the world’s transition to clean energy. Kairos Power that is building two Hermes reactors in Oak Ridge has grown to more than 450 employees since its founding in 2016, Peterson said, and the initial foundation work for Hermes 1 is already underway.
Other panelists from the region included:
- Dr. Jeff King, Founding Director of TTU’s new Nuclear Engineering Department;
- Dr. Balendra Sutharshan, Chief Operations Officer and Deputy Director for Lab Operations, Oak Ridge National Laboratory;
- Jay Mullis, Manager, U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management; and
- Ken Rueter, President and CEO of United Cleanup Oak Ridge LLC.
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