AMMAN: The Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) has just completed the hot commissioning tests of the Jordan Research and Training Reactor (JRTR) which has been constructed on the Jordan University for Science and Technology campus since 2010, a JAEC statement said.
The commission announced that it will hold the inauguration ceremony for JRTR early December under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah. The project contains, in addition to the reactor and service buildings, a training center and radioactive waste treatment facility. The scientific facilities include radioisotope production hot cells to be used in medical applications, neutron activation analysis for material and forensic medicine analysis, beam ports and a thermal column. They will be utilized for material science and other scientific research as well as performing three-dimensional neutron radiography using the neutron imaging technique, according to the statement.
The JRTR has been designed to operate at 5 MW maximum capacities, but it is upgradeable to 10 MW. Its capabilities “will enhance nuclear infrastructure in Jordan to be a focal point in the region as a nuclear research hub and a center for HRD,” the agency said. Cold commissioning (without loading the nuclear fuel) started on April 25, 2015 after which the Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission (EMRC) issued the permit to load the nuclear fuel in order to enter into the hot commissioning phase on April 21 based on their comprehensive reviews for all the JAEC reports.
The full power was attained at 5 MW and all the reactor performance tests were done successfully and the JRTR was operated at the full power of 5 MW for two continuous weeks “without experiencing any trip (automatic shutdown) or encountering any abnormality”. “…The continuous operation at full power proves that the reactor is functioning in a perfect way,” the statement concluded, adding that EMRC experts will review all the reports submitted by JAEC and approve their conformity with the valid regulations in order to conclude the issuance of the Operating License to JAEC within this month, subject to specific operating conditions.
The two foreign consultant groups have been working with EMRC, namely the Korean Institute of Nuclear Safety and the US group (AdSTM) that helped in the verification of the integrity of the test results and conformity with the preset acceptance criteria. Also the JAEC Safety Committee, which comprises of local independent experts, has contributed to the analysis and evaluation of the test results, the JAEC said. In a related development, JAEC has signed a cooperation agreement with the Royal Medical Services in the area of radioisotope production and utilization, “benefiting from the accumulated experience and capacity built over a long period of time at the RMS”.
