Meet Antoine Claisse: Championing Safety at Thorizon
Antoine is originally from Reims, now living in Aix-en-Provence. He loves the calm and plenitude of hiking in the Alps or paddling around La Ciotat as much as the volume and loudness of playing music. His favorite dinner topics are simply the stories of his 10-year-old daughter’s daily life, each of which is a superb adventure. Such fresh eyes are an incredible source of inspiration.
How did you join Thorizon?
A fortunate encounter! A headhunter contacted me about a safety and licensing role at Thorizon in March 2024. The more I learned about Thorizon's molten salt reactor and its safety benefits, the more interested I became. During my interviews and a visit to the Lyon office, I was struck by the team’s enthusiasm, motivation, and collaborative spirit. The essence of the Thorizon project, combined with the positive vibes of the people involved, made me eager to join what seems to me to be an exciting adventure.
What is your role at Thorizon?
I will guide the development of Thorizon One, ensuring safety and compliance with regulations in the Netherlands and France. My role involves integrating safety into the design, promoting the reactor to authorities, and fostering a strong safety culture. I aim to prove, by getting the whole team on board, that Thorizon One is a safe, viable solution for energy production.
"Based on high-level safety standards, we will define specific safety requirements adapted to our reactor design and implement them to deliver the best solution, combining all technical, economic, and safety considerations."
What are the key principles and regulations governing nuclear safety and how do you ensure compliance?
In France and the Netherlands, nuclear safety is governed by the principle of 'defense in depth,' which mandates multiple protective layers to prevent accidents and mitigate their consequences. Based on high-level safety standards, we will define specific safety requirements adapted to our reactor design and implement them to deliver the best solution, combining all technical, economic, and safety considerations. This will be achieved using a high-performance system engineering process that will continuously refine the safety measures throughout the design development phases and demonstrate that our solution is of the highest level in terms of safety.
How do you assess and mitigate potential risks associated with nuclear operations and facilities?
We focus on four key safety functions: controlling nuclear reactions, removing thermal power, confining radioactive substances, and protecting against radiation. Our approach involves rigorous safety analysis associated with each design phase to anticipate and plan for potential events, ensuring that even in the face of cumulative failures, the plant safety functions remain ensured.
"During my interviews and a visit to the Lyon office, I was struck by the team’s enthusiasm, motivation, and collaborative spirit. The essence of the Thorizon project, combined with the positive vibes of the people involved, made me eager to join what seems to me to be an exciting adventure."
How do you stay updated on trends, technologies, and best practices in nuclear safety?
In a fast-growing sector, we need to both keep abreast of the latest developments and inform our stakeholders about the concept we are developing to promote its benefits. To achieve this, we need to be close to national authorities (ASN and ANVS), international organizations (IAEA and NEA of the OECD), and ongoing initiatives in the fields of SMRs and MSRs. Today, there is a strong political will to develop new reactor concepts, and we must play a frontline role in this effort. Since the sector is currently undergoing a transformation, our challenge is twofold: to comply with the best practices and to provide the elements that will enable decision-makers to define, where necessary, appropriate adapted requirements. Active involvement in any initiative promoting our concept and its safety is crucial for staying ahead, and I’m excited to contribute to a project that has the potential to make such a significant difference.
On a personal note
Antoine is originally from Reims, now living in Aix-en-Provence. He loves the calm and plenitude of hiking in the Alps or paddling around La Ciotat as much as the volume and loudness of playing music. His favorite dinner topics are simply the stories of his 10-year-old daughter’s daily life, each of which is a superb adventure. Such fresh eyes are an incredible source of inspiration.
