Speakers Bureau

Ali Siddiqui leads CNL’s Advanced Reactors Directorate.  Ali has been with CNL for over twelve years serving in various technical and management roles in the S&T mission and corporate office.  As Head of Directorate, Advanced Reactors he leads both the staff and programs undertaking research crucial to speed development and deployment of Advanced and Small Modular Reactors in Canada.  Ali leads a diverse team executing on CNL’s clean energy vision including serving federal clients, developing new commercial S&T opportunities and providing support for the SMR deployment project at CNL.  His team has also developed CNL’s Clean Energy Demonstration, Innovation, and Research (CEDIR) Initiative to advance the technological readiness of low-carbon hybrid energy systems and help meet Canada’s net-zero goals.  He currently represents CNL and Canada on a number of domestic and international working groups and committees, holds a master’s degree in aerospace engineering and is a professional engineer in Ontario.

As an Operations Research Analyst at CNL, Megan has the opportunity to contribute to a diverse set of projects. Through her involvement in the Clean Nuclear Research initiative (CNRI), Megan lead the successful launch of the first call for proposals in 2019, and is currently overseeing the second call for proposals. To date, CNRI is meeting its objective is to make CNL’s technical capabilities and expert knowledge available and accessible to the advanced reactor (AR) community in order to equip them with the technical support required to progress towards deployment in Canada. During her time at CNL, she has also developed an expertise in nuclear economics, developing economic models to assess traditional reactors, Generation IV reactors, SMRs as well as components such as the economics of various fuel cycles. Megan has been able to use the experience she has gained to contribute to the larger economic community, most notably as a current co-chair of the Generation IV International Forum Economic and Modelling Working Group. Megan has also performed several feasibility studies to understand the system level impacts of implementing various technology solutions. Most recently, she as lead a team at CNL in the development of the hybrid energy system optimization (HESO) model, a powerful tool that can be used to gain valuable insight into possible energy transition scenarios in support of Canada’s clean energy targets.

Travis is an operations research analyst at CNL with a MEng in electric power engineering. He is the technical lead of the CEDIR initiative, where his broad knowledge and work experience in both physical power systems and modeling is an asset. Travis’ research focuses primarily on modeling and simulation of hybrid energy systems using real-world scenarios to highlight the role nuclear will play in Canada’s future energy systems. Travis contributed to the development of the Hybrid Energy System Optimization (HESO) Model and also led a recent project to establish near-zero carbon emissions configurations for off-grid mine sites in Canada. Currently, he is developing a model to simulate nuclear-enabled hybrid energy system microgrid operations to study various operational aspects, such as control system strategies, microgrid resiliency, and contingency reserve requirements.

Mike has been working as a licensing engineer for the NSDF project since its commencement, particularly on long-term safety assessments and calculations for radiological dose consequence. He has over 12 years of experience in public and private sectors and is the co-author of the NSDF Safety Case, the first radiological disposal safety case in Canada. Mike has lived in Deep River for 6 years and enjoys going out for walks with his dog.

Marilyne supervises the Chalk River Laboratory (CRL) Aquatic Toxicity Laboratory and she is currently leading the implementation of Good Laboratory Practice for the conduct of pre-clinical health studies at CRL.  Marilyne and her team are interested in understanding the effects of chemicals and ionizing radiation on living organisms.  The team carries out field and laboratory studies, including multigenerational studies, in the context of single or multiple stressors.  By analysing molecular, cellular, organ, organism, or reproductive changes, the team evaluates the risks associated with exposure.  Throughout her career at CNL, Marilyne has supervised over 50 students and has taken part in a number of educational initiatives.

Nirmal leads projects that involve hydrogen and related energy systems through engineering analysis and techno-economic validation, for decarbonisation of multiple economic sectors.

Notable Projects:

• Marine-zero fuel assessment tool development project. Technical lead for the joint project with Transport Canada, helping marine vessels operators to understand the impact of alternative fuels such as hydrogen.
• Hydrail feasibility study for regional express rail program. Technical lead for the joint project with Jacobs, Ernst & Young and Metrolinx in Toronto, Ontario.
• Underground hydrogen storage capabilities development. Technical lead for a project with AECL/NRCan, enabling the development of techno-economic models, protocol development for storage site development and experimental test co-ordination.

Expertise:

• Assessment of techno-economic feasibility, environmental benefits, safety regulations, business case, sustainability and infrastructure of hydrogen-based fuels in end-use applications for decarbonizing multiple sectors including transport, energy and industries.