November has once again been a very fruitful month for the Stellaria teams! We received the results of the audit conducted by the High Commissioner for Atomic Energy, alongside all innovative French nuclear startups. We also joined the France2030 program to support our international development and traveled to the USA, the Czech Republic, and even... the Paris region.
- Results of the Audit by the High Commissioner for Atomic Energy
On Thursday, November 21, we met with Vincent Berger, High Commissioner for Atomic Energy, and his team to hear the results of his audit on innovative nuclear technologies. The report highlighted our several strengths:
- The fuel itself;
- The safety of our concept;
- Security considerations integrated from the reactor's design phase;
- Our business model and the strong relationships we maintain with our industrial partners.
However, certain questions were also raised, such as:
- The state strategy regarding civil plutonium;
- The reactor's design, particularly the complexity of our heat exchanger;
- The chemistry of salts;
- The qualification of calculation codes for safety purposes.
For each of these points, we have proposed action plans and solutions to ensure they never become blocking issues. Find all the details of the conclusions and our proposals in our dedicated article.
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- Our Integration into the France2030 Export Program
This month, we officially joined the program France2030 export, led by Business France, for a duration of 30 months.
Until 2026, this program will support the international projects of nearly 1,000 companies, including ours. We will rely on the Business France team to engage stakeholders effectively and co-develop an international offering, with the support of their network spanning over 100 countries.
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- Workshop on Molten Salt Reactors in Tennessee
On november 4-5, we traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee, to participate in the workshop on molten salt reactors organized by Oak Ridge National Lab in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy.
Over three days, we had the opportunity to learn about their research and that of several academics on the subject, gain insights into the progress of our transatlantic counterparts, and benefit from their experiences. Beyond molten salt technology, discussions covered nuclear safety, non-proliferation, and fission gases.
This event also allowed us to present Stellaria, the Stellarium and its operations, details of our reactor building and its multiple safety barriers, the recycling scheme for our salt, and our projected timeline.
photo credits: Antoine Gerschenfeld ; Yoann Bomchil
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- Presentation at ENES2024 in the Czech Republic
A few weeks later, we met with the teams from the local equivalent of the CEA, Centrum výzkumu Rež, during a conference on reinventing sustainable nuclear energy. The next day, we were invited to speak atENES2024, theEuropean Nuclear Energy and SMR Conference.This provided us with the opportunity to connect with key players in Eastern Europe's nuclear sector and establish future collaborations.
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- Visit to Our IJCLAB Colleagues During the GIF
Shortly after our trip to Oak Ridge, we joined molten salt reactor enthusiasts in Orsay, Essonne, at theIJCLAB facilities to attend the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) steering committee meeting.
The day included presentations on MSR activities in Canada and the USA, Thorizon by Laure Claquin, and Naarea by David Lambertin. We also showcased Stellaria's progress and the specifics of our concept. The day concluded with a tour of the laboratory led by Sylvie Delpech, Research Director at CNRS.
It was a month rich in encounters, discussions, and promising exchanges for the bright future of next-generation reactors. The future is built as a team, and we are proud to be part of the molten salt community.
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