For the first time in decades, the construction of a new nuclear reactor in the Netherlands has been approved by the Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ANVS). It is the so-called Pallas reactor in Petten in North Holland, reports NH Nieuws.
Rijkswaterstaat has also granted a permit, because the reactor will use water from the Noordhollandsch Kanaal as cooling water. That non-radioactive cooling water is then discharged back into the North Sea.
The new installation must produce medical and industrial isotopes and conduct nuclear technological research. Medical isotopes are radioactive substances used for the diagnosis and treatment of various types of diseases, including cancer.
Petten is one of the most important suppliers of medical isotopes in the world. The arrival of the new reactor means that the Netherlands will be able to continue producing the isotopes for the next fifty years.
Participation before commissioning
The permit that the ANVS has now granted only means that the Pallas reactor may be built. Before a permit is granted to actually put the reactor into operation, another period of consultation is required. According to the ANVS, this will be approximately in 2028.
Until March 30, it is possible to appeal against the building permits to the Council of State.
View the current nuclear reactor in Petten here:
