The annual summer shutdown of the High Flux Reactor in Petten, Netherlands, will begin July 18.
The Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG) said it plans to perform regular preventative maintenance, testing, and inspection on the unit until August 18. As has been the case for the past three years, NRG will inspect cooling water pipe work as part of the safety check. The inspection will analyze four locations in the pipe work where localized deformations are known and where a small bubble stream was observed in 2008, according to the Petten-based organization.
The High Flux Reactor is one of the key global suppliers 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.
The temporary July-August closure is just the first of two scheduled shutdowns for Petten. NRG said it 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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