Application of a new operating license for the Finnish FiR 1 reactor and the change of generation of the reactor person

The FiR 1 –reactor, a 250 kW Triga reactor, has been in operation since 1962. The main purpose to run the reactor is now the Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT). The BNCT work dominates the current utilization of the reactor. The weekly schedule allows still one or two days for other purposes such as isotope production, neutron activation analysis and training. Figure 1 describes the BNCT Facility at the FiR 1 Reactor. The current operating license expires at the end of the year 2011. An application for a new operating licence has to be submitted to the authorities at least one year earlier, which means the end of the year 2010. Next year (2009) we have to decide the main parameters of the application for a new operating license. After that we shall prepare or revise during the year 2010 all the documents needed for the application. During the following year (2011) the documents will be checked by the authorities and at the end of the said year the new license should be granted by the Government. The age structure of the personnel requires that we have to change most of the reactor key persons during the years 2008 and 2009 due to retirements. The change of the generation includes the deputy of the responsible manager, the reactor manager, the radiation protection officer and the persons who are responsible for the emergency planning, for the physical protection and for the nuclear material control. Before the change is possible the persons must be familiarized to the new duties and in most cases the new person must also have an authorization for the new position granted by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority.