Petten nuclear reactor
Encyclopedia
The Petten nuclear reactors are nuclear research reactor
s in Petten
, Netherlands
. There are two reactors on the premises of the Petten research centre: a high flux reactor
and a low flux reactor
.
On 2009, the Argentine company INVAP
(teamed with Spaniard group Isolux) was pre selected in the international tender called for the PALLAS project, for the procurement of a 80 MW nuclear reactor for the Dutch
village of Petten
but on February 2010, the Dutch radiopharmaceutical producer Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG
) extended the preparatory phase up to end of the year for financing
Its capacity was increased in steps to 45 MW (thermal) by 1970. The HFR is property of the European Commission
and is operated by the Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group
(NRG).
The life span of the current HFR will end around 2015. It has already been decided that a new HFR (Pallas) will be constructed to start operating by this time.
From August 2008 the HFR was shut down due to corrosion of the pipes in its primary cooling circuit. The operator is expecting to bring the plant back on-line in February 2009.
(NRG). The LFR is mainly used for the production of neutrons for biological and physical research.
within the company. After completion of extensive research and the announcement of a series of additional measures, the reactor was put back into use.
, only low-enriched uranium fuel is used at the facilities in Petten. As a result of political pressure from the United States
and the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA), research reactors are no longer allowed to use highly enriched uranium fuel because of its potential use for the production of nuclear weapons. http://www.nrg-nl.com/general/nieuws/2006/20060508.html However, the reactor continues to use highly enriched uranium targets for the production of medical isotopes.
and
Research reactor
Research reactors are nuclear reactors that serve primarily as a neutron source. They are also called non-power reactors, in contrast to power reactors that are used for electricity production, heat generation, or maritime propulsion.-Purpose:...
s in Petten
Petten
Petten is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Zijpe, and lies about 15 km northwest of Alkmaar, on the North Sea. The population is ca. 1900....
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. There are two reactors on the premises of the Petten research centre: a high flux reactor
Neutron flux
The neutron flux is a quantity used in reactor physics corresponding to the total length travelled by all neutrons per unit time and volume . The neutron fluence is defined as the neutron flux integrated over a certain time period....
and a low flux reactor
Neutron flux
The neutron flux is a quantity used in reactor physics corresponding to the total length travelled by all neutrons per unit time and volume . The neutron fluence is defined as the neutron flux integrated over a certain time period....
.
On 2009, the Argentine company INVAP
INVAP
INVAP S.E. is an Argentine high-technology company dedicated to the design, integration, construction and delivery of high complexity equipment, plants and devices.-Background:...
(teamed with Spaniard group Isolux) was pre selected in the international tender called for the PALLAS project, for the procurement of a 80 MW nuclear reactor for the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
village of Petten
Petten
Petten is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Zijpe, and lies about 15 km northwest of Alkmaar, on the North Sea. The population is ca. 1900....
but on February 2010, the Dutch radiopharmaceutical producer Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG
Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group
Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group is a Dutch institute that performs nuclear research for the government and private companies. It is the most important producer of radionuclides in Europe and maintains and operates the Petten nuclear reactor....
) extended the preparatory phase up to end of the year for financing
The high flux reactor (HFR)
The high flux reactor in Petten has been in use since 1961. The first criticality was obtained the November 9th, 1961. The reactor was furnished by Allis-Chalmers.Its capacity was increased in steps to 45 MW (thermal) by 1970. The HFR is property of the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
and is operated by the Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group
Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group
Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group is a Dutch institute that performs nuclear research for the government and private companies. It is the most important producer of radionuclides in Europe and maintains and operates the Petten nuclear reactor....
(NRG).
The life span of the current HFR will end around 2015. It has already been decided that a new HFR (Pallas) will be constructed to start operating by this time.
From August 2008 the HFR was shut down due to corrosion of the pipes in its primary cooling circuit. The operator is expecting to bring the plant back on-line in February 2009.
The low flux reactor (LFR)
The low flux reactor has been in use since 1960. It has a capacity of 30 kW. The LFR is property of the Nuclear Research and Consultancy GroupNuclear Research and Consultancy Group
Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group is a Dutch institute that performs nuclear research for the government and private companies. It is the most important producer of radionuclides in Europe and maintains and operates the Petten nuclear reactor....
(NRG). The LFR is mainly used for the production of neutrons for biological and physical research.
Medical importance of Petten
Apart from its function as a research centre, Petten is also a large producer of radioactive material for the purpose of medical diagnosis and the treatment of cancer (Radiopharmaceuticals). The nuclear facilities at Petten supply 60% of the European demand for medical isotopes. Also at the high flux reactor, one of the neutron beam channels, which was originally installed for performing fundamental research, has been specially modified for the direct irradiation of patients. This allows use of neutrons for the treatment of tumors after saturation of these tumors with a pharmaceutical containing boron. When hit by a weak neutron beam, boron will locally emit radiation that will destroy the tumor. This technique is mainly suitable for the treatment of brain tumors.Safety issues
In 2002, the High Flux Reactor was shut down for a few weeks because of two unrelated issues. There were indications of a weld defect in the reactor vessel and there were some concerns about the safety cultureSafety culture
Safety culture is a term used to describe the way in which safety is managed in the workplace, and often reflects "the attitudes, beliefs, perceptions and values that employees share in relation to safety" .-Defining safety culture:...
within the company. After completion of extensive research and the announcement of a series of additional measures, the reactor was put back into use.
, only low-enriched uranium fuel is used at the facilities in Petten. As a result of political pressure from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the International Atomic Energy Agency
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957...
(IAEA), research reactors are no longer allowed to use highly enriched uranium fuel because of its potential use for the production of nuclear weapons. http://www.nrg-nl.com/general/nieuws/2006/20060508.html However, the reactor continues to use highly enriched uranium targets for the production of medical isotopes.
2001: Frans Saris reports
Frans W. Saris, former director of ECN Petten, and currently professor of physics and dean of mathematics and natural Sciences at the University of Leiden published in November his book "Darwin meets Einstein". In his book Saris mentioned two previously not noted incidents which he gives as the reason for his resigning from ECN and RTL nieuws: . Saris says the following- "In the summer of 2001 I discovered that our nuclear research and consultancy groupNuclear Research and Consultancy GroupNuclear Research and Consultancy Group is a Dutch institute that performs nuclear research for the government and private companies. It is the most important producer of radionuclides in Europe and maintains and operates the Petten nuclear reactor....
in Petten had secretly initiated the building of their own reprocessingNuclear reprocessingNuclear reprocessing technology was developed to chemically separate and recover fissionable plutonium from irradiated nuclear fuel. Reprocessing serves multiple purposes, whose relative importance has changed over time. Originally reprocessing was used solely to extract plutonium for producing...
plant, because the highly enriched uranium remnants from the Mo99MolybdenumMolybdenum , is a Group 6 chemical element with the symbol Mo and atomic number 42. The name is from Neo-Latin Molybdaenum, from Ancient Greek , meaning lead, itself proposed as a loanword from Anatolian Luvian and Lydian languages, since its ores were confused with lead ores...
production could not be sent to Dounreay anymore. Issues of environmental impact and the non-proliferation treaty were waved aside by referring to the medical applications. I could block this development in time, but only after seeking the support from ECN's Supervisory Board.
and
- "On a winter night in December 2001 there was a power failure in North HollandNorth HollandNorth Holland |West Frisian]]: Noard-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam.-Geography:...
, where Petten is located. The nuclear reactor is a research reactor, not a power reactor; it needs electricity to operate, for instance to pump cooling water. The reactor has a back-up cooling system to prevent meltdown of the core in case of a power failure. But this evening the back-up cooling system failed to come into action and the operators did not know what to do. There is an extra safety system by convection cooling for which the operators had to open a valve, but the control room was dark. When they reached for a torch that should have been there, it had been taken away by a colleague to work under his car. Trying their luck the operators put the valve of the convection cooling in what they thought was the 'open' position. But then the lights came back on and the operators discovered they had actually closed the back-up convection cooling system. Had the power failure lasted longer it would have meant meltdown and a major disaster. When I learned about this some months later - they thought they could keep it secret - I did not think I could take responsibility any longer and I resigned from the ECN."