Canadian reactor now to open in mid-August

Chalk River Laboratories, NRU Reactor Image source: Atomic Energy of Canada Limited

The Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) is estimating that National Research Universal (NRU) reactor in Chalk River, Ontario, will resume isotope production by mid-August.

Previously scheduled to restart July 31, AECL announced an extension of return-to-service late last month.

Currently, the organization is saying that tests on the main heavy water system and return-to-service actives for all 35 NRU auxiliary systems are now complete on the NRU reactor.

Over the next several days, AECL said the return-to-service team will be completing final restart activities. These activities include bringing the reactor back into service to complete low-power testing prior to returning the reactor to high-power operation.

The organization also cautioned that “any unforeseen delays” could extend the NRU’s return-to-service schedule.