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SCK•CEN is a Nuclear research centre in Mol, Belgium. The abbreviation stands for the Dutch and French translations respectively of the English "Center for the Study of Nuclear Energy": Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie • Centre d'Étude de l'énergie Nucléaire. SCK•CEN is active in various areas of research and services in the nuclear sector.

Organisation Profile

The Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, SCK•CEN, is a foundation of public utility with a legal status according to private law, under the guidance of the Belgian Federal Ministry in charge of energy. About 600 employees realise a turnover of 80 MEUR.

The statutory mission gives priority to research on problems of societal concern such as safety of nuclear installations, radiation protection, safe treatment and disposal of radioactive waste, fight against uncontrolled proliferation of fissile materials, and education and training.

Mission

SCK•CEN focusses on different topics in nuclear physics:

• Nuclear safety and radiation protection
• Medical and industrial applications of radiation
• The back end of the nuclear fuel cycle (nuclear reprocessing and management of radioactive waste)
• Nuclear decommissioning and decontamination of nuclear sites
• The fight against nuclear proliferation

To these domains SCK•CEN contributes with research and development, training, communication and services. This is done with a view to sustainable development, and hence taking into account environmental, economical and social factors.

History

The SCK•CEN was founded in 1952 and originally named Studiecentrum voor de Toepassingen van de Kernenergie (Research Centre for the Applications of Nuclear Energy), abbreviated to STK. Land was bought in the municipality of Mol and over the next years many technical, administrative, medical and residential buildings were constructed on the site. From 1956 to 1964 four nuclear research reactors became operational: the BR1, BR2, BR3 and VENUS.

In 1963 SCK•CEN already employed 1300 people, a number that would remain about the same over the next decades. In 1970 SCK•CEN widened its field of activities outside the nuclear sector, but the emphasis remained on nuclear research. In 1990 SCK•CEN was split and a new institute, VITO (Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek; Flemish institute for technological research), took over the non-nuclear activities. SCK•CEN currently has about 600 employees.

Research Activities

SCK•CEN's fields of activity go – literally - from the deep underground to outer space. The Centres research activities are concentrated into the following main tracks:

• Nuclear Materials Science

Research is performed to improve the knowledge, understanding and numerical simulation of the behaviour of materials under irradiation, and from there on predict their performance. The aim is to develop, assess and validate new materials such as nuclear fuel, construction materials and radioisotopes to be used in nuclear applications. These activities secure SCK•CEN’s expertise and deliver high-quality services to nuclear industry.

• Advanced Nuclear Systems

Extensive contributions are made to extend the present Belgian expertise in the field of developments related to GEN IV reactor systems and ITER. In co-operation with the industry and international research teams, R&D efforts are made to develop and test innovative reactor technologies and instrumentation. This will contribute to the construction of an experimental fast spectrum installation (MYRRHA), allowing a.o. transmutation processes to be performed.

• Environment, Health and Safety

Next to specialised R&D in the field of a.o. radiobiology and -ecology, environmental chemistry, decommissioning, radioactive waste management and disposal, SCK•CEN also delivers high-quality measurement services such as radiation dosimetry, calibration and spectrometry. Policy support, decision making and research on the integration of societal aspects into nuclear research contribute to meet complex problems related to radiation protection and energy policy.

• Education and Training

Throughout its more than 50 years of research experience in the field of peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology, SCK•CEN has also earned a reputation as an outstanding centre for education and training (E&T). The E&T activities at SCK•CEN cover a. o. reactor physics, reactor operation, reactor engineering, radiation protection, decommissioning and waste management. Next to courses, SCK•CEN also offers students the possibility to perform their research work at our laboratories and research reactors. Final-year students and PhD candidates can enter a programme outlined together with an SCK•CEN mentor and in close collaboration with a university promotor. Post-docs are mainly recruited in specialised research domains that reflect the priority programmes and R&D topics of our institute.

Important installations

• BR1 (Belgian Reactor 1): The BR1 nuclear reactor became operational in 1956. It used graphite as a moderator, natural uranium as a nuclear fuel, and air as the coolant. The BR1 was the first operational nuclear reactor in Belgium and was used for production of radioisotopes and research.
• BR2 (Belgian Reactor 2): The BR2 nuclear reactor became operational in 1961. It works on highly enriched uranium and is moderated and cooled by water. The BR2 is still one of the most powerful research reactors in the world. The reactor is used for the testing of fuels and materials for different reactor types, and for the production of radioisotopes.
• BR3 (Belgian Reactor 3): The BR3 nuclear reactor was a pressurized water reactor (PWR) that produced its first chain reaction in 1962. It was the first PWR outside the United States and it was used as a prototype for the construction and operation of later commercial PWR power plants. The operatin of the reactor was stopped in 1987. As the first PWR reactor in Europe to be decommissioned, the decommissioning of the reactor is an important pilot project. The BR3 will be fully decommissioned in 2009.
• VENUS (Vulcain Experimental Nuclear Study): VENUS is a zero power reactor, that became operational in 1964. The reactor can simulate the behavior of neutrons in Pressurized water reactors and Boiling water reactors.
• MYRRHA: The MYRRHA project aims to construct a subcritical Accelerator-Driven System. The project started in 1997 and targets to put MYRRHA in service in 2014-2015.
• HADES: HADES is the Belgian Underground Research Laboratory, located at a depth of -223 m in Boom Clay. It allows the in situ characterization of this clay layer presently studied as a reference host formation for the geological disposal of nuclear waste. HADES acronym stands for "High Activity Disposal Experimental Site". HADES facility is operated by the EURIDICE European Interest Group (EIG).

See also

• European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM)
• Flemish institute for technological research (VITO)
• Edgar Sengier

External links

• Official website
• Official history brochure
• Official information package

Coordinates: 51°13′07″N 5°05′36″E / 51.218524°N 5.093236°E / 51.218524; 5.093236