NuMat 2024 as told by Callum Hunt

Eighteen hours from door to door—from suburban East Didsbury to Singapore—via trains, travelators, planes, and countless steps. It's a long journey, equivalent to watching all three Lord of the Rings extended edition movies, with six hours left to sleep.

It's important to acknowledge how far Singapore is and how fortunate this opportunity is. But why is NuMat being held here? What makes Singapore a fitting venue for a nuclear research conference? Dr. Victor Nian from the Centre for Strategic Energy and Resources (CSER), Singapore, tackled these questions in the first plenary session.

Dr Nian introduced the current global state of nuclear power and concerns about the future energy crisis. Southeast Asia is shifting away from coal, replacing it with natural gas, but the reliability of gas imports poses challenges. While countries like Laos are leading with green energy initiatives, geographical limitations, poor grid infrastructure, and lack of regional connectivity hinder wider adoption of renewable energy in neighbouring countries. Nian stressed that while improvements in connectivity and storage are essential, there still won't be "enough green electrons to go around." This raises the question: can nuclear play a role?

Currently, Southeast Asia has no operational nuclear plants, but change is on the horizon. Malaysia developed a nuclear energy program in 2015, the Philippines created its Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority in 2023, and Laos is considering small modular reactors (SMRs). Indonesia plans to build a 500 MW floating nuclear plant, and Thailand is adopting China's Hualong One reactor design, capable of generating 1,090 MW of electricity. Although the region is leaning toward nuclear, expertise remains scarce. Singapore aims to fill this gap by developing a pool of 100 nuclear experts through scholarships, international studies, and research funding. The country has also signed the US 123 Agreement, laying the groundwork for importing nuclear material and equipment from the US.

Optimism was unmistakeable after the talk, though some attendees were sceptical about reactor designs, timelines, and whether nuclear can truly meet the region's energy demands. This debate underscores the importance of holding the conference here.

*Pictures of the central business area in downtown Singapore and the evening light show at Gardens By The Bay*

NuMat 2024 is being held at the Singapore EXPO, just a five-minute train ride from the airport and 50 minutes from Gardens by the Bay. Each day is structured with plenary sessions followed by parallel tracks, grouping researchers by field. Invited talks, like Prof. Janne Wallenius’s on future of lead-cooled reactors in Sweden, offered broad insights, while shorter talks delved into specific research, such as Martin Sevecek’s presentation on accident-tolerant fuels and Mia Maric’s discussion on 3D analysis of hydrides in zirconium.

*Pictures from the conference, with Rhys Thomas (left) giving a presentation, people at the evening poster session (middle) and the image competition entries (right)*

The two-minute flash talks at the end of each day were particularly engaging. Presenters offered a quick glimpse of their research, encouraging attendees to visit their posters (including me). However, since the flash talks were grouped by research area, sitting through one session meant hearing only about a narrow field, missing out on a great opportunity to be exposed to diverse range topics.

The conference ran from Monday morning to Thursday afternoon, with poster sessions and evening drink receptions adding a social element. Lunchtime was an excellent networking opportunity, the lack of seating meant everyone had to stand which was clearly to encourage mingling, and it worked! The food was a delight, there was always a mix of Asian and Western cuisine, which changed daily, with coffee breaks offering dumplings, bao buns, and a surprisingly delicious “Carrot Cake” (a radish-based rice omelette) as snacks.

Networking happened quite naturally, with attendees mixing well beyond their own groups. I enjoyed catch ups with past collaborators and meeting new researchers in different institutions. Over breakfast, I got the opportunity to discuss a chromium alloy proposal with colleagues and researchers from other Universities.

*Newton Food Centre, a hawker market with two Michelin guide stalls*

After the conference, we had a few evenings and extra days to explore Singapore. The city’s blend of British and Southeast Asian influences creates a unique, multicultural atmosphere. Navigating the city was easy thanks to its efficient public transport. The food scene was equally diverse, with a mix of Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Indonesian, Malaysian, and Chinese cuisine; dim sum was my personal favourite. It felt like the standard for food was high, with small stands at Hawker markets offering some of the best dishes I have ever had.

*Tree top walk on the McRitchie trail (left), monkeys on the trail path (middle) and a monitor lizard in a reservoir*

One of my highlights was an 11 km rainforest hike with treetop walks, monkeys, and serene lakes. We also visited Marina Bay Sands for sunset drinks and enjoyed the Gardens by the Bay’s light show set to big-band movie soundtracks. We even squeezed in a run around a nearby reservoir, where the humidity made it challenging, but spotting a monitor lizard was a memorable reward.