The Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG) High Flux Reactor in Petten, Netherlands, is back online ahead of schedule.
NRG returned the reactor into operation on August 17, a day earlier than scheduled, following the annual major maintenance stop. With the restart, the production of medical isotopes and other nuclear research activities has resumed.
The nuclear reactor was shut down on July 18 for a month of planned preventive maintenance, testing, and inspection.
The reactor is a global supplier of medical isotopes. Hazelwood, MO-based Mallinckrodt, a subsidiary of Covidien of Dublin, Ireland, is a joint venture partner with NRG at Petten. Mallinckrodt provides approximately 40% of the U.S. medical isotope supply.
NRG plans to take the facility offline in early 2010 for more maintenance work, which is expected to take 22 to 26 weeks to complete.
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