Will New Mexico Lead The Way In Nuclear Energy?

HOBBS, N.M. March 2, 2011 – Nuclear energy and small-scale reactors will take cent
er stage at the 2011 national energy conference in Hobbs. “The Uranium Fuel Cycle” c
onference on Wednesday and Thursday, April 27 and 28, will focus on potential de
velopments and implementation of small-scale reactors.
The conference features top leaders in nuclear technology, including Babcock & W
ilcox, New Mexico Tech, URENCO USA, Washington TRU Solutions, Uranium Resources
Inc., Energy Solutions and the U.S. Department of Energy.
The “uranium fuel cycle” begins with mining, continues with enrichment, followed by
use in a reactor, and ends with processing and storage. Hobbs is in the center o
f the developing Eastern New Mexico Energy Corridor, which is involved in all as
pects of the nuclear energy fuel cycle.
Dr. Van Romero, Vice President of Research at New Mexico Tech, said New Mexico i
s well-positioned to be a leading voice in nuclear energy development.
“Almost the entire cycle is contained in New Mexico,” he said, “from mining to waste s
torage. This conference is an important step in bringing together key players in
the area and continuing a dialog about energy and our national policies.”
A new enrichment facility is now operational near Eunice, N.M. A de-conversion p
lant is in the licensing stage in Lea County. Also located in the region are Was
te Control Specialist LLC and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, near Carlsbad, wh
ich is a long-term storage facility funded by the Department of Energy. While no
t currently being mined, vast deposits of raw uranium ore exist in west-central
New Mexico.
What’s missing? The small-scale nuclear power plants.
“Communities in southeast New Mexico have expressed an interest in nuclear power,” R
omero said.
One area the conference will focus on is the commercial deployment of small nucl
ear reactors in eastern New Mexico. Representatives of Babcock & Wilcox will pre
sent their strategy to deploy a light-water reactor system to provide energy to
communities in New Mexico.
Babcock & Wilcox is the leading international company in development and deploym
ent of small-scale nuclear reactors. The company unveiled the B&W mPower™ reactor
in 2009. The mPower reactor, with its scalable, modular design, has the capacity
to provide 125 megawatts to 750 megawatts of electricity for a five-year operat
ing cycle without refueling. The reactor is designed to produce clean, near-zero
emission operations, according to the company website.
Babcock & Wilcox Canada has designed and manufactured nuclear power equipment fo
r more than 40 years, providing nuclear heat exchangers, nuclear plant services
and more than 200 nuclear steam generators to customers around the world.
Following the Babcock & Wilcox presentation, Romero will lead a discussion on “Sma
ll Reactor Research and Readiness.” Then, a representative from the U.S. Departmen
t of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy will talk on the status and outlook for nuc
lear energy development.
“Large nuclear reactors generate about a gigawatt of power,” Romero said. “These small
er reactors are safe and easy to operate and do not need a tremendous amount of
infrastructure. Canada has been operating these small reactors for years.”
The two-day conference is hosted by the New Mexico Center for Energy Policy, a d
ivision of New Mexico Tech, the Economic Development Corp. of Lea County and New
Mexico Junior College.
The “Uranium Fuel Cycle” conference will begin with a panel on “Uranium Mining Today:
Geology and New Technology,” led by Dr. Peter Scholle of New Mexico Tech. Scholle
is the State Geologist and the director of the N.M. Bureau of Geology. The confe
rence will present improved methods for the mining of uranium. New technology th
at eliminates labor-intensive, high-risk activity prevalent in previous operatio
ns will be presented. Also, Uranium Resources Inc., a mining-company based in Te
xas, will present information about the latest technological developments in ura
nium mining. The company has several mines in Texas and has holdings in New Mexi
co that include 183,000 acres and 100 million pounds of in-place mineralized ura
nium holdings, according to the company’s website.
Also on the schedule for the conference is a panel discussion on uranium process
ing, featuring top executives from Urenco USA (uranium enrichment), Internationa
l Isotopes (uranium tailing recovery), Waste Control Specialist LLC and WIPP (wa
ste/storage).
The final panel, “Training and Education for the Future of Nuclear Energy,” will be
led by Dr. Robert Rhodes, Vice President of New Mexico Junior College, with a pr
esentation by Energy Solutions.
Online registration will open Monday, March 7, at www.energyplexnm.com or by cal
ling (575) 397-2039. Conference information can be accessed at the New Mexico Ce
nter for Energy Policy website nmcep.nmt.edu.
– NMT –
By Thomas Guengerich/New Mexico Tech