Welding phase of Netherlands reactor finished; to reopen in late August

View of the reducer prior to the removal of the corroded parts

The welding activities on the High Flux Reactor's (HFR) reducers in Petten, Netherlands, were successfully finished. All four corroded locations in the aluminum pipe lines were replaced, and the functionality of the cooling water pipes of the HFR has been restored, according to the Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG) of the Netherlands.

The project will proceed into the next phase of the concrete repairs, and the planned date of the restart remains fixed for the second half of August, said NRG.

The assembly of the new aluminum parts in the cooling pipe required extensive knowledge and perseverance from all the team members and the completion of the welding operation is an important milestone in the HFR repair project, added NRG.

John Verbruggen, mechanical engineering sub project manager, commented on the welding activities: “It was an intense period. We are relieved that everything went well. The quality of the reducers has been guaranteed.”