[onderzoek in de reactor] [production of medical isotopes]
The Nuclear Research & consultancy Group (NRG) offers a wide range of high quality services to energy utilities, government organisations and various branches of industry - including the nuclear, financial services and medical sectors. NRG is a major producer of medical isotopes in Europe.
[NRG-Home] > [Corporate Info] > [Press center]

High Flux Reactor increases the production of Medical Isotopes to the maximum

Petten- 13 December 2007 – Today the production rate of medical isotopes in the High Flux Reactor (HFR) in Petten, the Netherlands, was increased further to the maximum possible at this moment.

The HFR is now producing approaching 40% of the world demand for medical isotopes, normally this is around 25% of the world demand and more than 50% of the European demand. After a scheduled short maintenance stop during the Christmas period; when extra irradiation facilities can be installed, the production capacity can be further increased to around 50% of the world demand. At this moment, the HFR is the only operational reactor amongst the group of large scale isotope production reactors that co-operate globally.

The reason for this exceptionally high scale of production at Petten, is the non-availability of the Chalk River reactor in Canada. This reactor normally supplies around half of the medical isotopes for the world market. But, because of unexpected problems during a routine maintenance stop of this Canadian reactor, it has been at a standstill for about 3 weeks. As a result there has been a shortage of medical isotopes on the world market. In Canada and North America, doctors have needed to postpone treatment of some of their patients. At this time, this situation has had almost no effect upon the treatment of patients in Europe.

Medical isotopes are used for the diagnosis, therapy and pain relief of millions of patients per year. The medical isotopes made in Petten are used to treat around 23,000 patients per day.

  • Press contacts: Contact Mrs J.M.J. van der Laan via info@nrg.eu
  • Tel/fax: tel: +31 224-564967, fax: +31 224-568912.
  • Postal address: PO Box 25, 1755 ZG Petten, Netherlands.