Oak Ridge Today

Millennial Nuclear Caucus in Oak Ridge on Friday

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A Millennial Nuclear Caucus is scheduled in Oak Ridge on Friday. It will be hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy in conjunction with co-sponsors, and it is scheduled from 7:45 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the New Hope Center at the Y-12 National Security Complex on Scarboro Road.

The Millennial Nuclear Caucuses are a series of events that bring together the next generation of leaders in nuclear innovation, a media advisory said.

“They feature discussions on the path forward for the nuclear industry and the role innovative technology will play,” the advisory said. “Participants at the events represent the full spectrum of the nuclear field, including young leaders supporting the existing fleet, those designing small modular and advanced reactors, and those advocating for a thriving nuclear future.”

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ORNL, TVA, NuScale Power, others to present at nuclear supply chain workshop

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Nuclear Suppliers Workshop Oak Ridge September 6-7 2017 Oak Ridge

The agenda has been finalized for the Nuclear Suppliers Workshop in September that will be hosted by the U.S. Nuclear Infrastructure Council and the East Tennessee Economic Council.

On September 6-7, companies interested in being part of the supply chain and searching for manufacturing opportunities around small modular reactors, next generation nuclear technology, nuclear medicine, and national security programs are invited to attend the Nuclear Suppliers Workshop at Pollard Technology Conference Center in Oak Ridge.

Thomas Zacharia, director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory will be the keynote speaker, a press release said. The Tennessee Valley Authority, NuScale Power, Duke Energy, AMS Corporation, Teledyne Brown Engineering, and others will also present. [Read more…]

Nuclear Suppliers Workshop in Oak Ridge in September

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Nuclear Suppliers Workshop Oak Ridge September 6-7 2017 Oak Ridge

The East Tennessee Economic Council and the U.S. Nuclear Infrastructure Council are having a Nuclear Suppliers Workshop in Oak Ridge in September.

The workshop is September 6-7 at the Pollard Technology Conference Center in Oak Ridge.

The focus of the event will be on manufacturing opportunities arising in the southeastern United States around small modular reactors, next generation nuclear technology, nuclear medicine, and national security programs, a press release said.

Invited speakers include senior executives from the Tennessee Valley Authority, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, NuScale Power, Teledyne Brown Engineering, Terrestrial Energy, University of Tennessee, Duke Energy, and others. The final agenda is still under development, the press release said. [Read more…]

ORNL nuclear engineer selected for national reactor development position

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The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy has selected ORNL’s Lou Qualls to serve as national technical director for molten salt reactors. (Photo courtesy DOE/ORNL)

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy has selected ORNL’s Lou Qualls to serve as national technical director for molten salt reactors. (Photo courtesy DOE/ORNL)

 

By Jason Ellis, ORNL Communications

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy has selected Lou Qualls of Oak Ridge National Laboratory as the national technical director for molten salt reactors, or MSRs. In his new role, Qualls—a nuclear engineer who joined ORNL in 1988—will serve as a liaison among the nuclear industry, the national laboratory system, and DOE in defining the future of MSR technology in the United States.

The new position was created in response to the private sector’s growing interest in MSRs as the next generation of power reactors. A significant number of nuclear plants are expected to close beginning in 2030, with most closed by 2045, as their operating licenses from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission expire. Various companies are pursuing new reactor designs to replace this loss of nuclear energy, which is the nation’s largest source of carbon-free energy and represents approximately one-fifth of electricity generated in the United States.

“There are about 10 U.S. companies developing MSR designs in hopes of seeing their technologies make it onto the grid,” Qualls said. “My job is to work with these vendors and DOE to understand how each design could fit into the energy market and to identify hurdles that could prevent these reactors from ever delivering electricity. It’s a positive step that shows the level of excitement from industry, DOE, and the national labs.” [Read more…]

URS names new UCOR president, project manager

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Ken Rueter

Ken Rueter

URS Corporation has named new leaders at UCOR in Oak Ridge and SRR at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina.

Ken Rueter has been named president and project manager of UCOR, a partnership between URS and CH2M Oak Ridge LLC. The URS-led consortium is responsible for the cleanup of the U.S. Department of Energy’s East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site, in Oak Ridge.

Rueter will become president and project manager on Aug. 1. He will replace Leo Sain, who will lead the URS Decontamination and Decommissioning and Waste Management Strategic Business Group, which is based in Oak Ridge.

“Ken’s prior leadership in UCOR’s successful deactivation and decommissioning of the K-25 facility will be invaluable as we continue the D&D of the K-27 and K-31 gaseous diffusion facilities,” said Randall A. Wotring, president of federal services for URS. “I am confident he will build on the UCOR team’s recent accomplishments as well as his previous experiences at the East Tennessee Technology Park to ensure we continue to make safe progress for our DOE client.”

In a press release, URS said Rueter has 26 years of experience in the nuclear industry focusing on high-hazard nuclear operations, project management and integration, construction, and risk management. In his new assignment, he will be the senior executive for UCOR responsible for all deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) activities at the East Tennessee Technology Park. He was previously president and project manager of Savannah River Remediation LLC, or SRR, and prior to his role there, he was the chief operating officer for UCOR. [Read more…]

Lecture to focus on whether small reactors can rejuvenate nuclear power

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Kent Williams

Kent Williams

A retired distinguished staff member at Oak Ridge National Laboratory will discuss Thursday evening whether small modular nuclear reactors, such as the one proposed in west Oak Ridge, can rejuvenate nuclear power.

The presentation by Kent Williams starts at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Fellowship Hall at First Presbyterian Church in Oak Ridge.

Many people in the nuclear industry say that small modular reactors, or SMRs, are key to a revitalized nuclear industry in the U.S. and overseas because of their projected market, safety, and economic characteristics, a press release said. One SMR plant has been proposed at the former Clinch River Breeder Reactor site in west Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

ORNL, UT receive Energy Department awards for nuclear training, technologies

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The U.S. Department of Energy on Friday announced more than $60 million in nuclear energy research awards and improvements to university research reactors and infrastructure, including about $1.5 million to Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee.

The 91 awards are meant to help train and educate the next generation of leaders in America’s nuclear industry as well as support new and advanced nuclear technologies from reactor materials to innovative sensors and instruments to more efficient manufacturing, DOE said in a press release. [Read more…]

ORNL’s Jubin receives Robert E. Wilson Award from AIChE

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Robert Jubin

Robert Jubin

Robert Jubin of Oak Ridge National Laboratory has received the 2013 Robert E. Wilson Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, or AIChE.

The AIChE recognized Jubin’s contributions in the areas of nuclear fuel reprocessing and radioactive waste treatment, and his chemical engineering achievements in the nuclear industry.

Jubin works in ORNL’s Nuclear Security and Isotope Technology Division.

Perma-Fix announces new VP of Nuclear Services Business Development

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Richard Macon

Richard Macon

Perma-Fix Environmental Services Inc. has announced the promotion of Richard Macon to vice president of Nuclear Services Business Development.

In this role, Macon will be responsible for pursuing opportunities, developing proposal “win themes,” and forming strategic partnerships to further company growth, a press release said. Macon will continue to cultivate relationships with Perma-Fix’s new and existing clients, including the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Defense, commercial nuclear industry, and Canada. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge could gain more than 100 jobs

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A company that provides services to the nuclear industry and is headquartered in Kennewick, Wash., plans to expand into Oak Ridge and add more than 100 jobs during the next three years.

Babcock Services Inc. intends to purchase 2.5 acres at Heritage Center in west Oak Ridge at the former K-25 site and construct a 13,300-square-foot building. The property will be used to manage, recover, and refurbish radioactively contaminated components from commercial nuclear power plants.

The estimated 114 new jobs created during the next three years could pay an average wage of $66,000 plus benefits, according to a project briefing distributed to Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board members.

BSI could invest close to $4 million in the project during the next three years.

On Monday, the IDB agreed to sponsor an application for a state FastTrack Infrastructure Grant on behalf of BSI. BSI would contribute a local match if the grant is approved.

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