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ABOUT US

The Team and Technology for an Energy Abundant World

HB11 Energy is developing commercially viable fusion technology for the global energy transition.

Global energy demand continues to accelerate. New technologies, new and recycled materials and developing standards of living all demand ever more power. The world needs baseload energy sources that can scale, complementary to other efforts in the energy transition and decarbonisation process.

We need technology that can be deployed in the developing world and in advanced economies. That means low environmental impact, carbon free and without restricted fuels like Tritium.

Recent advancements in laser technology, computing and materials science have put fusion energy on the horizon. Our global team of fusion experts, engineers and award-winning physicists are making it a reality.

Management

Dr. Warren McKenzie

Managing Director

Managing Director of HB11 Energy, Warren McKenzie, PhD (Materials Science / Nanotechnology) is a science entrepreneur, materials scientist and Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales. He has held two post-doctorate research positions, at Trinity College in Dublin and at the University of NSW.

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Greg Ainsworth

Chief Operating Officer

Greg Ainsworth brings a wealth of experience in building teams and delivering results in large and small organisations, including launching US streaming service, AMC+ as Senior Vice President at AMC Networks. Greg has also launched and run a health services start-up in New York City and worked as a policy officer in the Department of the Prime Minster and Cabinet in Canberra.

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Jan Kirchhoff

Director of Special Projects

Co-founder of HB11 and Director Special Projects, Jan Kirchhoff has a background in investment banking and investment fund operations, with a broad knowledge of regulated and unregulated investment vehicles and fintech companies. With a deep understanding of global energy markets he is responsible for market strategy as well as all financial and legal aspects of HB11.

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Technology Leadership

Dr. Sergey Pikuz

Chief Technology Officer

Dr. Pikuz leads the R&D team at HB11 Energy. Dr. Pikuz’s  research background is in experimental high energy density physics with high-power optical lasers, X-ray free electron lasers and X-ray plasma diagnostics.

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Prof. Tom Mehlhorn

Lead Theoretician

Prof. Mehlhorn leads HB11 Energy’s theoretical physics effort, developing our understanding of fusion ignition and burn. Prof. Mehlhorn is an Adjunct Professor at the Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences Department, University of Michigan

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Dr. Fabio Belloni

Scientific Advisory Board Member

Dr. Belloni is a key contributor in HB11 Energy’s fuel physics program as a technical consultant. Dr.  Belloni also serves as the Head of the Fusion Research Sector at the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission. Additionally, he holds the position of Visiting Fellow at the Department of Engineering of UNSW Sydney, Australia.

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Dr. Max Tabak

Consultant Scientist

Dr. Tabak is a key contributor in HB11 Energy’s fuel physics program. He is  broadly experienced and a highly esteemed expert in inertial fusion physics. He is a  winner of the Edward Teller Award in 2005, and joint winner of the John Dawson Award in 2006. Max’s manuscript, Ignition and High Gain with Ultrapowerful Lasers, is the #1 most cited in the history of laser fusion.

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Dr. Igor Morozov

Head of Simulations

Dr. Morozov directs HB11 Energy’s fuel physics analytics and  simulations; particle-in-cell modeling and  hydrodynamic modeling. Dr. Morozov is an experience team leader in computational plasma physics and thermodynamics.

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Prof. Thomas Kuehl

Laser Technology Lead

Prof. Kuehl leads HB11 Energy’s laser R&D program in Adelaide with a focus on reliable pulse compression technology. Thomas is a highly respected leader globally for his work building and operating world-leading high-power laser infrastructure.

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Scientific Advisory Board (SAB)

Prof. Heinrich Hora

Chairman Emeritus

Professor Emeritus in Theoretical Physics of the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), Heinrich Hora is a renowned physicist who has made contributions to solid state physics, optical properties of plasma with relativistic and quantum effects and nonlinear dynamics with applications of lasers for producing nuclear fusion energy. It was Heinrich who in the 1970s predicted that the HB11 approach would become viable when laser technology evolved to its current state.

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Prof. Dimitri Batani

Chair of SAB

Prof. Dimitri is a central figure in the field of proton-Boron fusion, particularly in Europe, and chairs the Scientific Advisory Board of HB11 Energy. Professor Batani also holds a position at The Intense Lasers and Applications Center (CELIA) at the University of Bordeaux where he’s conducting research in Plasma Physics, notably the study of Shock Ignition physics for inertial confinement fusion.

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Dr. Adi Paterson

SAB Member

Dr. Adi Paterson, PhD (Engineering) a non-executive director of HB11 Energy and member of the SAB. Adi brings experience in energy policy, systems and technology innovation. He served as CEO of Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) from 2009-2020 where he developed Australia’s formal relationship with iTER. He was recognised as Professional Engineer of the Year (Sydney Division) in 2012 and is an Honorary Fellow of Engineers Australia.

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Prof. Dieter Hoffmann

SAB Member

Prof. Hoffmann’s research interest is high energy density physics, proton-Boron fusion astroparticle physics and  stopping of Ions in ionized matter.

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Dr. Mike Campblell

SAB Member

Across  40-year career, Mike Campbell become an internationally known expert in inertial confinement fusion (ICF), high-energy-density physics, high-powered lasers and their applications, and advanced energy technologies. He was the Director of University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics from 2017 to 2021.

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Dr. Daniele Margarone

SAB Member

Dr. Daniele Margarone serves as Director of Research and Operations of ELI Beamlines, one the world’s foremost physics and materials research  laboratories, hosting some of the most intense lasers in the world.

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