FOUNDATION ELEMENTS
This project brings together many interconnected ideas. Each concept in the list below has been thoughtfully built into the design—not as separate pieces, but as parts of a larger, unified system. While each one could stand on its own, they were always meant to work together, strengthening and supporting one another through thoughtful integration. While this plan seems relatively well developed, it is only a starting seed. As this project is developed through its various stages, it will evolve into a more practical outcome fit for purpose to the physical site selected.
OUR OVERARCHING ETHOS
· Circularity as First Principle
· Exergy Optimization Across All Scales
· Post-Scarcity Planning through Abundance Logic
· Technological Simplification and Resilience
· Decentralized Governance with Dynamic Adaptability
· Systemic Modeling, Iteration, and Knowledge Sharing
· Small Scale Value Chain to Strategic Purpose
1. Advanced Energy Infrastructure: Generation IV Reactors
At the core of the city's energy matrix lies a scalable deployment of Generation IV Thorium Molten Salt and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), supplying both electricity and high-grade thermal energy. These technologies, validated by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL-4812, 1972) and operationalized by China since 2021, enable secure, decentralized power generation with reduced logistical complexity and enhanced safety profiles relative to conventional uranium-based systems.
Funded by
Vulcan Catalyst
2. Production of fresh water
Freshwater is produced through nuclear-powered desalination of seawater. This process serves a dual purpose: providing water for human and industrial use, and acting as a thermal exchange medium (steam) within turbines. Complete desalination is essential, as salt would damage the power generation turbines.
After power generation, the steam is pumped uphill and captured in a high-altitude reservoir. As it cools, the water is mineralized to support life systems. From there, it is released downhill to the city, supplying drinking water and potable water for industrial consumption.
Mass balance analysis shows that only about half of the generated steam is required for city systems.
The remaining water is allocated to agriculture and natural biosystem restoration in surrounding areas.
Powered by thorium-fueled Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), this integrated approach reflects Vulcan Catalyst’s commitment to systemic synergy, biophysical integrity, and ecological responsibility—core principles of industrial permaculture.
Funded by
Vulcan Catalyst
3. Production of diesel fuel
Tyre-to-Diesel (Pyrolysis Technology)
Industrial pyrolysis (heating without oxygen) systems convert end-of-life tyres into diesel fuel oil, carbon black, and scrap steel—reintegrating these byproducts into the city's construction and logistics processes. This will also provide a valuable saleable product.
Sewage-to-Syngas Conversion
Human waste is transformed into syngas, biochar, and organic liquid through mature gasification techniques. This produces a clean-burning domestic fuel while simultaneously creating biochar—a carbon-negative agricultural fertilizer input—closing the loop between urban metabolism and food systems.
Funded by
Vulcan Catalyst
4. Spine Rail Arterial Transport (SRAT)
The city’s primary transportation framework is a novel, innovative form of transport for both cargo and people. This system is termed the spine rail arterial transport network (SRAT)—a central electrically powered arterial rail network that aligns community, civic, and industrial nodes. This radically reduces reliance on fossil fuel-based transit systems and minimizes energy dissipation through intelligent spatial design. The outcome is a large reduction and energy demand, and a large proportion of the transport network would now be directly powered from the electricity generation grid. The design of the city will be optimized to take full advantage of these characteristics.
5. The Chrysopoeia Institute
Serving as the intellectual heart of Vulcan Catalyst, the Institute incubates bold research and development initiatives, encouraging the rigorous exploration of unorthodox ideas. This will be a world-class research, and innovation hub, with multiple subgroups. It facilitates cross-disciplinary experimentation, technological prototyping, and systemic modeling. Intellectual property arising from its labs may be commercialized or contributed to the public commons—ensuring scalability of breakthrough solutions beyond the city’s borders.
6. Industrial Permaculture Complex
A constellation of up to thirty pilot-scale industrial facilities will operate within a closed-loop, permaculturally inspired production framework (industrial permaculture). Each facility’s process outputs are designed to become inputs for others, forming a regenerative, low waste industrial ecosystem that functions analogously to a living organism, or self-sufficient organic farm - diverse, interdependent, and resilient.
7. The Resource Balanced Economy (RBE)
The Resource Balanced Economy framework is founded in systems thinking biophysics and energy (exergy metrics) scientific principles. This is an evolution of Jacque Fresco's Resource-Based Economy. Real-time, anonymized data (with no surveillance of the individual) analytics dynamically track material flows across the full value chain, with dual control centers - governing both the urban and industrial subsystems. This novel paradigm reconciles abundance logic with resource stewardship, in accordance to cradle to grave biophysical limitations. Resource extraction can now be optimized against manufacture requirements, waste handling and consumption targets in a small localized value chain. The RBE system will operationally use the Steady State Economy principles.
8. Next-Generation Fabrication & Manufacturing
An advanced local manufacturing stack integrates additive manufacturing (3D printing), CNC machining, plasma metallurgy, laser cutting, bioplastics, and geopolymer ceramics. This industrial system minimizes supply chain complexity while maximizing adaptability, optimized to a strategic purpose. Both raw and recycled materials are locally/regionally sourced, enabling vertically integrated production of metals, ceramics, and polymers—all within a Circular Economy resource supply logic.
9. Regenerative Agriculture
& Food Sovereignty
Vulcan Catalyst will start as an industrial production hub with food resources imported in the short term. In the medium and long-term, areas of arable land will be developed to support agriculture. The goal is that food production within this settlement adheres strictly to regenerative agriculture and permaculture principles -eschewing the complete phase out of petrochemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides.
Soil food web health, mineral equilibrium, and microbial vitality are prioritized. The long term goal is to support complete dietary independence for the people living in this city, through the production of fully organic food products, while restoring local biodiversity.
10. A Regenerative Hemp Value Chain
We will grow and process industrial hemp at every stage—from cultivation to finished products. This fully integrated approach supports sustainability by turning a single crop into many useful materials, including textiles, bioplastics, building supplies, and biofuels. Hemp-based bioplastics can even serve as raw material for 3D printing.
Plus, hemp is incredibly water-efficient, making it an environmentally friendly choice from the start.
11. Experimental Construction & Material Science
(Project Sisyphus)
Within a legislation compliance regulatory sandbox environment, the viability of new and innovative, construction materials and construction methodologies will be tested and developed. Some of these materials will be used to construct this unorthodox and innovative city.
This research group (which will be part of the Chrysopoeia Institute) will study, trial, and stress-test architectural structural prototypes utilizing hempcrete, bamboo, geopolymer cement, carbon fiber, transparent aluminum, and other advanced materials in construction. The data derived from these experiments will be open-sourced in publication, enabling future cities (and their building codes) to inherit a resilient, modular, and ecologically integrated design language.
12. Holistic Health Framework
Rejecting the current pharmaceutically dominated healthcare paradigm, Promethean Nexus fosters a preventative and integrative model of wellness. The city will explore phenomena such as "electronic smog" and its bioelectrical impact on human health, while supporting comprehensive lifestyle systems rooted in nutrition, community, and environmental coherence. All medical and health paradigms will be considered in a frank and data based exchanged to evolve a new holistic system, that will enhance the quality of life of people living in this city.
13. Sociocultural Engineering & Paradigm Exploration
Drawing upon thinkers like Jacque Fresco, Robert Sapolsky, and Daniel Schmachtenberger, the Chrysopoeia Institute will establishe a game theory laboratory to model behavioral, economic, and governance systems. The project investigates hybrid civic paradigms where free-market dynamics and democratic socialist principles can coexist harmoniously—laying the groundwork for Promethean Nexus, a next-generation, democratically stewarded city-state.
14. A new paradigm in education
We aim to explore alternative models of education that honor the whole individual—intellectually, emotionally, creatively, socially and spiritually. Our approach will emphasize personal expression over rigid conformity, fostering an environment where individuality thrives. Rather than focusing solely on rote memorization for exams, we will nurture creative thinking, curiosity, and a willingness to learn through trial and error.
Students will be encouraged to question assumptions, think critically, and embrace mistakes as valuable parts of the learning journey. Drawing inspiration from progressive education systems such as Steiner and Montessori, we will study and integrate their core principles into a new, dynamic model tailored for the future.
