Identified Opportunities in Utilization of the European Research Reactor Fleet as a Part of the TOURR Project

¹ ”Jožef Stefan” Institute (JSI), Slovenia
² Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
³ European Nuclear Education Network (ENEN), Belgium
⁴ National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ), Poland
⁵ Centrum Výzkumu Řež (CVR), Czech Republic
⁶ Centre for Energy Research (EK-CER), Hungary
⁷ Studiecentrum Voor Kernenergie, Centre D’etude de L’energie Nucleaire (SCK-CEN), Belgium
⁸ Institute of Nuclear Technology and Energy Systems, University of Stuttgart (USTUTT), Germany
⁹ Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Technologicas-Ciem (CIEMAT)

^* luka.snoj@ijs.si

Published online: 21 November 2023

Abstract

This paper discusses the current status of the European research reactor (RR) fleet and identified opportunities for its utilization. The data for this analysis was collected through a specific questionnaire from which a database of the European RR fleet was created. The questionnaire was designed to assess the degree of exploitation of different RR applications and to identify gaps and opportunities for future utilization. The results indicate that the European RR fleet is older compared to the world average, with no new research reactors built in Europe since 1992. The majority of RRs reported low levels of exploitation across all applications, and a desire to expand utilization was expressed by 78% of respondents. Lack of manpower, finance, and customers were identified as the main obstacles preventing expansion, while the need for more nuclear engineers was identified as a clear opportunity to attract people to the field. The findings of this study emphasize the need for actions to be taken to combat future needs and to improve the utilization of the European RR fleet. Overall, this study provides valuable insights for policymakers, industry professionals, and researchers working in the field of nuclear energy.