Press Release

IAEA visits High Flux Reactor for follow-up mission Continued Safe Operation - 12 July 2024

Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) visited the High Flux Reactor (HFR) from 3 to 5 July as part of a follow-up mission on 'Continued Safe Operation'.

The systematic implementation of effective ageing management, contributes towards safe and reliable reactor operation. CSO missions are therefore aimed at evaluating alignment of an operating reactor with relevant IAEA safety standards, with specific focus on the applied ageing management programme. The IAEA-team evaluated how the HFR has implemented the findings from the earlier 2022 mission. They also evaluated the recently implemented safety improvements.

The IAEA-team consisted of one IAEA staff member and two international experts from Australia and Canada. Present were representatives of the Nuclear Safety and Radiation Authority (ANVS). The closing meeting on Friday 5 July was attended by ANVS chair of the board, Annemiek van Bolhuis.  

From the 9 findings of the CSO-mission in 2022, the HFR successfully closed or made sufficient progress on 8 out of the 9 findings.  One finding or recommendation could not be closed and requires further improvement by the HFR team. It relates to better definition and broad implementation of acceptance criteria for systems and components during maintenance activities. In the coming months, the HFR team together with experts from NRG’s consultancy team (C&S), will work towards resolving this finding.

“NRG PALLAS has addressed most of the review recommendations made in 2022 and achieved significant enhancement in continued safe operation,” said Kaichao Sun, mission team leader and Nuclear Safety Officer at the IAEA. “Further improvements remain needed to establish appropriate acceptance criteria in ageing management programmes.”

Operations director Jelmer Offerein: " The IAEA's CSO missions provide us with valuable information how to manage ageing effects in an ageing reactor as effectively as possible, aimed at safe and reliable operations. It was a successful week with constructive discussions during which great strides were made in the field of ageing management.

The International Atomic Energy Agency is an autonomous international organization within the United Nations system.  The IAEA provides scientific and technical cooperation on nuclear technology and its peaceful use. The IAEA has established safety standards based on the knowledge and experience of nuclear organisations around the world. National regulators use these guidelines and requirements as conditions for the nuclear licence of nuclear organisations.