Meet Jaén Ocádiz: Molten salt chemistry expert
I became aware of molten salt reactor (MSR) technology through an article in Popular Mechanics when I was in high school, and I've been fascinated ever since. Initially, I thought I would become a civil engineer, but during my BSc studies, I switched to chemistry. After graduating, I decided to pursue a career in this field, which led me to TU Delft for graduate studies and eventually to Thorizon. I knew about Thorizon early on from Lucas Pool, one of our founders, whom I met at Thorium MSR Foundation meetings. He introduced me to our CTO, Sander de Groot.
What is your role at Thorizon?
As the Chemical Lead, I focus on materials chemistry, fuel chemistry, and designing experimental campaigns to validate our technology. For instance at this moment we are one of several partners participating in the Euratom project called MIMOSA (MultI-recycling strategies of LWR SNF focusing on MOlten SAlt technology). Within MIMOSA, corrosion of structural materials in molten salt environments is one of the main topics we are involved in. In parallel, we are laureates of the France 2030 Réacteurs Nucléaires Innovants, which provided the funding for another large research project called PROXIMA. This project is also very exciting as it enables us, amongst many other things, to already build on what we have learned from MIMOSA. To give but one example, we are carrying out simultaneous corrosion-irradiation experiments at DIFFER using an instrument (DICE) which was designed during MIMOSA.
"I love the clever embodiment of a technology I am passionate about. Developing it requires smart choices and balancing acts, and meeting those challenges is rewarding."
What skills are essential for your role?
A strategic, long-term vision is crucial to keep the ultimate target in sight and identify the knowledge or technical gaps we need to address. People skills are also important for establishing partnerships with suppliers, academics, laboratories, and other companies that share aspects of our vision.
What do you like most about your role, and what challenges do you face?
I love the clever embodiment of a technology I am passionate about. Developing it requires smart choices and balancing acts, and meeting those challenges is rewarding. The days go by very quickly; sometimes, I wish I could savor them more. The work here only gets more interesting with time!
What do you want Thorizon to achieve?
I hope Thorizon achieves widespread commercialization in Europe and beyond, contributing to energy security. I also hope we contribute to the public debate on energy and climate.
Which achievement of Thorizon are you most proud of?
I have a soft spot for the salt loop which we recently commissioned. I think it will be an essential part of our toolkit in the prototyping and experimental journey ahead of us.
"A typical day includes one or two meetings, preparing technical documents and presentations, running calculations, figuring out budgets and timelines, and handling many emails. A large lunch is essential, and we typically enjoy a “gezellig” lunch with most of the staff at a big table."
How would you describe your colleagues?
Curious experts, skilled engineers, savvy managers, and driven builders.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
A typical day includes one or two meetings, preparing technical documents and presentations, running calculations, figuring out budgets and timelines, and handling many emails. A large lunch is essential, and we typically enjoy a “gezellig” lunch with most of the staff at a big table.
What is your favorite isotope and why?
I am partial to the simplest isotope: 1H. Splitting water into H2 and O2 as a child showed me how amazing chemistry is. Now, incorporating hydrogen into our energy mix is a significant challenge, one that could be met with the help of nuclear technology.
On a personal note
Jaén Ocádiz, 32, is originally from Mexico and currently lives in Leiden with his wife. His favorite place on earth is Mazatlán, located on the west coast of Mexico. There, he enjoys cold shrimp cured in lemon juice with habanero—known as aguachile—fighting the tears from the spice while sipping a cold, sweaty beer, and overlooking the blue crashing waves of the Pacific and the islands on the horizon. If he could have one superpower, it would be to learn at a machine's rate, just like in that scene from The Matrix where Neo comes out of his training session and says, "I know kung fu."
