Andrews reactor funding goal reached |
Ruth Campbell
Staff Writer
Midland Reporter-Telegram
02/10/2006
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n UT regents approve teaming agreement
By Ruth Campbell
Staff Writer
AUSTIN -- Preconceptual design of the proposed high temperature teaching and test reactor has been funded, putting the project on a fast track, University of Texas of the Permian Basin President David Watts acknowledged Thursday.
Funding will come from the city and county of Andrews, Midland and Odessa development corporations, Thorium Power Inc. of McLean, Va., and Cap Rock Electric.
The University of Texas System Board of Regents in Austin on Thursday also approved a 12-month "teaming agreement" with the UT System, UTPB, UT Austin, UT Arlington, UT Dallas, UT El Paso, Andrews, Midland, Odessa, Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M., Thorium Power and General Atomics of San Diego, Calif.
The proposed site is Andrews County.
The HT3R, as it is called, represents new nuclear technology from what is used at the nation's estimated 108 reactors, according to information from the UT System. It is cooled by helium instead of water.
"Because of that, it offers a chance to conduct research on a safer, more reliable reactor that produces hydrogen as a waste stream," the information said.
Attending the two-day UT System Board of Regents meeting, Watts was heartened by the panel's blessing.
"Today's approval by the regents gives us a green light to proceed," he said. He added preliminary work has already begun on the preconceptual design, which will offer a business plan, a better idea of how the partially underground research reactor will look and how much waste it might generate.
"The goal is to complete this project (the preconceptual design) in six months or less. We are on a very fast track," Watts said.
The Midland and Odessa development corporations have pledged $500,000 each and the city and county of Andrews, $250,000 each. UTPB has also received a verbal commitment from Thorium Power for $1.25 million and a $7,500 donation from Caprock Electric -- the last donation to arrive, he said.
Once the preconceptual design is completed, UTPB will return to the board of regents to have them review and approve it. The next step would be to "aggressively seek federal and other sources of funds to build the reactor" and go to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for licensure, Watts said.
"This is just the beginning of a major initiative at UT Permian Basin, and the entire West Texas area," Board of Regents Chairman James R. Huffines said. He said the project has a "tremendous potential" for economic development and he is honored the system is a part of it.
He and other regents also marveled at the cooperation the venture has sparked.
"It's very impressive," Huffines said, adding the speed with which the project came together is "somewhat unprecedented" based on his experience and he feels it will be successful moving forward.
Regents Vice Chairman Cyndi Krier said she the reactor had done something often talked about -- bringing different campuses together and generating public-private partnerships.
"I am impressed with the number of colleges and universities around the state that have been brought into the project by UTPB ... and the number of communities in West Texas involved ... so you end up with a multi-campus project that UTPB is leading and a public-private sector initiative," she said.
"I always think those types of collaborations make for more successful projects. The research that could go on at the reactor could be the equivalent of this century's West Texas Lands oil and gas development in meeting future energy needs," said Krier, who is also chairman of the Academic Affairs Committee and a member of the finance committee.
Regent John Barnhill said he received a briefing on the reactor project from Midland Chamber of Commerce President John Breier and was interested something nuclear bought people together instead of splitting them apart. "I am in awe of the cooperation of the various communities out there. I compliment them on such good judgment in getting together on this," Barnhill said.
UT System Chancellor Mark G. Yudof said the reactor program also should help UTPB build its science and engineering programs.
"It's of critical importance to allow the Permian Basin (campus) to expand its program, which will work in the long term," he said.
According to the teaming agreement, the mission of the HT3R will be to operate as a "national user facility" to:
n Educate and train the next generation of high-temperature and nuclear scientists and engineers;
n- perform basic and applied nuclear research;
n support the engineering, design, licensing, construction and operation of the U.S. Department of Energy's Next Generation Nuclear Plant;
n optimize the economic high-temperature production of hydrogen, synthetic fuels and other materials;
n significantly increase the efficiency of electricity production in power plants;
n and to the extent shown technically feasible and economically effective by the preconceptual design, explore the use of proliferation-resistant fuels, including thorium-based fuels. |
