PNNL

Olga Marina, materials scientist at PNNL, has been appointed to the board of the Gen IV International Forum’s Very-High-Temperature Reactor organization.

The Gen IV International Forum, established in 2001, is an international effort to develop the research necessary for testing feasibility and performance of fourth-generation nuclear systems. The goal is to make them available for industrial deployment by 2030.

The Very-High-Temperature Reactor is one of six technologies the organization has selected for further research and development.  The Gen IV International Forum is evaluating using these nuclear reactors to produce clean hydrogen for energy purposes.

Marina was nominated to the board by the Department of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office for her expertise in high-temperature electrolysis—the process for producing hydrogen from the reactor’s water at high temperatures.

The board is responsible for evaluating hydrogen and nuclear technologies from each country it represents, including the United States, France, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Korea, and China.

Marina is the one U.S. representative on the board, with a colleague from Idaho National Laboratory serving as a substitute as needed.

She will serve 10 years on the board. She began her term in Summer 2021, when she presented to her board counterparts on high-temperature electrolysis.

Marina joined PNNL in 1999. She is widely recognized for her technical contributions to developing solid oxide fuel cell advanced electrodes and interconnects and for her understanding of degradation mechanisms in high-temperature electrochemical devices.