Plans to replace the existing High Flux Reactor (HFR) in Petten, the Netherlands are moving forward.
The Pallas project organization has begun taking design proposals for the reactor, which will produce the isotope molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), the precursor to technetium-99m. Deadline for submission is 18 September.
The group organizing the Pallas project was part of radiopharmaceutical producer Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG) until the end of 2013. In December 2013, the project was incorporated into an independent foundation, the Foundation Preparation Pallas reactor.
The foundation is responsible for the completion of the first two phases of the project. Phase 1 includes design, tendering, and licensing procedure. The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Province of Noord-Holland has allocated 80 million euros to this segment of the project.
The foundation also is responsible for securing funding for the second phase, which included construction and commissioning of the reactor. The new Pallas reactor has a target date of 2022 to come online.
