Key Insight Business Briefings
A Future for Nuclear Fission Energy in Ireland?
Key Insight Business Briefing and Dinner
24 May 2007, Royal Dublin Society, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
This invitation only event, jointly organised by the Institute of Physics in Ireland and the RDS, was attended by over 50 senior industry, academic and policy makers.
A first of its kind, for the Irish branch, it provoked an excellent debate, which was both lively and well informed.
Programme
| 16.30 | Arrival and registration with refreshments |
| 17.00 | Introduction from the Chair, Dr Tony Scott, Honorary Treasurer, Institute of Physics and Vice President, RDS |
| 17.05 | Prof John Fitz Gerald, Economic and Social Research Institute The Economics of Electricity Generation in Ireland in 2020 |
| 17.35 | Prof John Gittus, Royal Academy of Engineering, Professor of Integrated Business Development A Future for Nuclear Energy in Ireland? |
| 18.05 | Break for drinks and networking |
| 18.30 | Open forum for debate and discussion under Chatham House Rules. Panel joined by Prof Owen Lewis, UCD Energy Research Group, Mr Raymond O'Malley, Co-Founder and Chairman of Biogreen and Prof Jimmy Burke, Head of Teagasc Crops Research Centre |
| 19.20 | Pre-dinner drinks reception |
| 19.45 | Dinner and further discussion |
| 21.15 | Departure |
The speakers' presentations may be viewed here:
 | Prof John Fitz Gerald, Economic and Social Research Institute The Economics of Electricity Generation in Ireland in 2020 | |
 | Prof John Gittus, Royal Academy of Engineering, Professor of Integrated Business Development A Future for Nuclear Energy in Ireland? |
Biographies
Prof John Fitzgerald
John Fitz Gerald is a Research Professor with the Economic and Social Research Institute in Dublin working on energy policy, macro-economic policy, and the economics of EMU. He is president of the EUROFRAME group of European economic research institutes, vice president of the Irish Economic Association and, until last year, a member of both the National Economic and Social Council and of the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation.
Prof John Gittus
John Gittus obtained an external First Class Honours degree in mathematics from London University, UK. He is a Fellow of the UK Royal Academy of Engineering and has Doctor of Science degrees from the Universities of London, UK and Stockholm, Sweden. He was elected a Regents' Professor at the University of California in Los Angeles, USA in 1990 and he teaches there. He is a Royal Academy of Engineering Professor, teaching at the UK Universities of Oxford, London, Plymouth and Swansea.
Professor Gittus is a consultant and advisor to Government Ministries and private industry in the UK, Canada, Japan, South Africa and Australia on nuclear and energy problems.
He was formerly a United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Director responsible for  The safety of nuclear reactors and  The UK?s Research and Development on the Pressurized Water Reactor.
He was a member of the Task Force that designed the Anglo-American project for the construction of the £2bn Sizewell B nuclear power station.
He is the author of four books and more than 200 scientific papers in learned journals describing the results of his research in the fields of theoretical physics and materials development.
Whilst working for the UKAEA he discovered the main limitations to the endurance of nuclear reactor fuel and patented the four methods that are successfully used, in most of the world?s reactors, to ensure that only one in a million fuel elements fail in service.. Whilst working for the Mond Nickel Company (part of INCO) he discovered and patented the nickel-based high temperature alloys from which gas-turbine blades are made.
Prof Owen Lewis
Owen Lewis is Professor of Architectural Science and Director of the UCD Energy Research Group. Qualified as architect and building services engineer, he served as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering & Architecture UCD and later Principal of the UCD College of Engineering, Mathematical and Physical Sciences.
He helped found the Solar Energy Society of Ireland in 1975.
Raymond O'Malley
Raymond is currently Chairman of Biogreen Energy of Adamstown in Co Wexford.
Biogreen commissioned one of the first two pure plant oil (PPO) processing plants in Ireland in 2003. They use Irish grown oil seed rape for the production of PPO which is used as bio-diesel. Mr O'Malley is an extensive tillage and beef farmer from Ardee in Co. Louth. He has served locally and nationally in the Irish Farmers Association. He served as regional IFA vice-president and was an IFA presidential candidate.
Dr Jimmy Burke
Dr Burke is the head of the Teagasc Crops Research Centre in Oak Park in Carlow. He is recognized as the leading Irish expert in the field of biomass energy production. Research in Oak Park is currently focusing on an evaluation of energy crops that can be grown in Ireland from both their production and harvesting to systems for realizing the energy potential of the different bio-fuels produced.
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