Report on the operation of the High Flux Reactor in the period 2012-2013

On 13 November 2012, the Council adopted a four-year (2012-15) supplementary research programme for the High Flux Reactor (HFR), to be implemented by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) on the operation of the HFR located in Petten, The Netherlands. Under Article 4 of this Council Decision, the Commission must keep the European Parliament and the Council informed by producing a mid-term report on the implementation of the supplementary research programme. This report addresses this obligation, and covers the 2012-13 period.

In operation since 1961, the HFR provides a variety of irradiation location possibilities (reactor core, reflector region and in the poolside). The main objectives of the supplementary research programme are:
- To ensure the safe and reliable operation of the HFR, in order to guarantee the availability of the neutron flux for experimental purposes.
- To allow an efficient use of the HFR by research institutes in a broad range of disciplines: improvement of the safety of nuclear reactors, health including the development of medical isotopes, nuclear fusion, fundamental research and training, and waste management including the possibility to study the safety issues of nuclear fuels for reactor systems of interest to Europe.

The HFR is used for the commercial production of radio-isotopes and also acts as a training facility for doctoral and post-doctoral fellows, allowing them to perform research activities through national or European programmes.

EUR-Lex: SWD(2016)101: Commission Staff Working Document accompanying the report http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2016:101:FIN

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