Continued Safe Operation (LTO Research Reactors) High Flux Reactor, Petten

Abstract

The HFR is one of the most powerful and versatile Research Reactors in the world. Because of its strategical importance in the medical isotopes production, after 57 years of operating experience a Continued Safe Operations (CSO) mission will take place. The CSO project structure is based on the outline given in the IAEA draft Safety Guide SSG-48. The ageing management for the HFR is evaluated based on the IAEA Specific Safety Guide SSG-10. Moreover, the approach to the contents of the project is supported by the IAEA Draft Guidelines for Peer Review of “Ageing Management of Research Reactors for Continued Safe Operations”. The HFR is the second Research Reactor (RR) in the world to undergo this type of assessment and its experience will be extremely valuable in setting the international standards for CSO of research reactors. This paper describes the phases of the CSO project, the challenges encountered and the experience built during its development.