Terrestrial Energy Announces Collaboration With University Of New Brunswick
March 21st, 2017
Terrestrial Energy, a vendor of Advanced Reactor power plants, and the University of New Brunswick (UNB), have entered into a contract for validation and verification work for the company’s ground-breaking Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR™). This is part of Terrestrial Energy’s program of regulatory activities that are required before an IMSR power plant can be deployed.
UNB has a long and rich tradition of technology and scientific leadership. UNB’s Department of Chemical Engineering facilities are well-suited to Terrestrial Energy’s validation and verification requirements. The Centre for Nuclear Energy Research (CNER) in Fredericton is a university research institute that has a formal relationship with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Canada’s premier nuclear research organization, which maintains staff on-site at UNB. This relationship helps ensure that CNER can undertake activities that are compliant with nuclear regulatory standards.
IMSR work at UNB/CNER is being managed by Dr. William Cook, Professor of Chemical Engineering at UNB, and Director of CNER. Dr. Cook has a PhD in Chemical Engineering from UNB.
“We are very pleased with our engagement with Terrestrial Energy,” said Dr. Cook. “Everyone here is enthusiastic to be involved in this Canadian-grown project that holds tremendous potential to drive a new age of clean industrial-scale energy. UNB students will benefit greatly from exposure to Terrestrial Energy’s Integral Molten Salt Reactor technology.”
Dr. Cook and his team at CNER last year completed the second phase of R&D work for Super-Critical Water Reactor (SCWR) development for the Generation-IV International Forum (GIF) and look forward to focusing on Terrestrial Energy’s IMSR, which is another GIF-recognized reactor system.
“UNB is well positioned to meet the needs of our IMSR work program, owing to their experience with the SCWR program and the integration of CNL into their nuclear engineering facilities,” said Dr. David LeBlanc, Chief Technology Officer of Terrestrial Energy. “We are excited about the long-term potential of our collaboration with UNB and the Province of New Brunswick, especially given that the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station has brought a robust nuclear supply chain to New Brunswick.”
About Terrestrial Energy
Terrestrial Energy is developing an Advanced Reactor based on its Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR™) technology. The IMSR represents true innovation in safety, cost and functionality. It will offer safe and reliable power solutions for electricity production and energy for industrial process heat generation. These together extend the applicability of nuclear energy far beyond its current footprint. With this profile, the IMSR is capable of driving the rapid global decarbonization of the primary energy system by displacing fossil fuel combustion across a broad front. It is complementary to renewable power sources and ideal for distributed power systems on existing grids. Using an innovative design and proven Molten Salt Reactor technology, the IMSR will be brought to global markets in the 2020s. Terrestrial Energy USA Ltd is an affiliate company that is developing IMSR technology for US market deployment.
About University of New Brunswick Department of Nuclear Engineering
The University of New Brunswick (UNB) is Canada’s oldest English-language university. Founded in 1785, the multi-campus institution has a rich history and a dynamic focus on innovation, experiential learning and entrepreneurship. UNB has nearly 10,500 students from nearly 100 countries while several thousand more take UNB courses online and at partner institutions around the world. UNB contributes significantly to the province with an annual economic impact of $1.2 billion on the provincial economy over the course of one year-equivalent to 4.5 per cent of the gross domestic product of New Brunswick. www.unb.ca