Research Reactor Status for Future Nuclear Research in Europe

During the 1950’s and ‘60’s, the European countries built several research reactors, partially to support their emerging nuclear-powered electricity programs. Now, over forty years later, the use and operation of these reactors have both widened and grown more specialized. The irradiation reactors test materials and fuels for power reactors, produce radio-isotopes for medicine, neutrographies, doping silicon, and other materials. The neutron beam reactors are crucial to science of matter and provide vital support to the development of nanotechnologies. Other reactors are used for other specialized services such as teaching, safety tests, neutron physics measurements…The modifications to the operating uses and the ageing of the nuclear facilities have led to increasing closures year after year [ref. 1 and 2]. Since last ENC,for example, we have seen, only in France, the closure of the training reactor Ulysse in 2007, the closure of the safety test dedicated reactor Phebus in 2008 and recently the Phenix reactor, last fast breeder in operation in the European Community, has been shut down after a set of “end of life” technological and physical tests. For other research reactors, safety re-evaluations have had to take place, to enable extension of reactor life. However, in the current context of streamlining and reorganization, new European tools have emerged to optimally meet the changing demands for research.However the operation market of these reactors seems now increasing in all fields.For the neutron beams reactors (FRMII, ORPHEE, ILL, ISIS,..) the experimental needs are increasing years after years, especially for nano sciences and bio sciences new needs. The measurement of residual stress on manufactured materials is also more and more utilised. All these reactors have increasing utilisations, and their future seems promising. A new project project based on a neutron spallation is under definition in Sweden (ESSS: European Spallation Source Scandinavia).The nuclear renaissance is effective worldwide, with 33 power plants today under construction in the world and a lot of projects in discussion or in preparation in various countries (England, Italy, South Africa, USA …). In Europe, some countries, who phase-out the development nuclear energy, are also coming back in nuclear perspectives as Sweden, Italy, England, Poland, …All these facts begin to give more work to the MTR (material testing reactors) for testing new materials and new fuels to improve their capacities and their performances.For the ZPR (Zero Power Reactors) test with new fuels allowing additives to suppress Bore utilisation, or allowing to reduce uranium consumption, will be necessary in the near future. For the safety dedicated reactors, test for compliance to last safety requirements are necessary. In this field the refurbishment of the CABRI reactor for Reactivity Insertion Accident studies, is now almost finished for test that should begin in 2011.For the radio-isotope production the world demand is increasing year after year, especially for 99Mo, used in about 70 millions of medicine procedures each year in the world. Today 95% of this world production is assumed by five reactors: HFR (Netherlands), OSIRIS (France), SAFARI (South Africa), BRII (Belgium), and NRU (Canada). The youngest is OSIRIS (41 years) and should be close in 2015. Due to ageing problems NRU and HFR were shut down in 2009 for necessary repair. These points have conduced to some radio-isotopes crisis in 2009.This paper explains some projects in line for the future to avoid this type of problems (FRMII initiative, RJH utilisation and PALLAS project).For training activities, needs are huge with nuclear renaissance, especially for the new countries coming back in nuclear field. It will also give a lot of opportunities to low power reactors and to the universities reactors.This paper also provides information on the status of the new projects such as the JHR on-going construction on the Cadarache site. Other projects as PALLAS, MYRRHA, ASTRID are described.We have to pinpoint the fact that these research reactors are more and more international reactors used as international user’s platform. Now 13 counties are operating the ILL in Grenoble, and for the future JHR under construction, 10 countries are now part of the consortium.