Image source: Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA)

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) has reported that Chalk River Laboratories, Ontario-based National Research Universal (NRU) reactor’s weld repairs are 100 percent complete. AECL maintains that NRU will resume isotope production by the end of July and the first medical isotopes will begin to be removed from the NRU for processing and distribution within 10 days of the reactor being returned to service.

During the past week, the repair team completed the finishing weld and a series of non-destructive examinations (NDE) of the final repair site. A review of the NDE results has confirmed that all requirements for the final repair have been met, said AECL. This completes the repair phase of the NRU reactor that began on Dec. 12, 2009.

AECL added that the final vacuuming of the vessel will be completed later this week, followed by a hand over of the NRU reactor from the repair team to the return-to-service team.

“Part of the return-to-service project’s plan includes reactivating the NRU’s auxiliary operating systems. To date, 23 of the 35 NRU systems are now in service,” according to AECL.