Topical Peer Review of reactor Maria – the assessment of safety of nuclear installations
14.09.2022
Safety and fire protection are at heart of the second round of the Topical Peer Review (TPR 2) carried out by EU countries every 6 years. In Poland, the only facility where such an assessment will be carried out is nuclear reactor Maria. The PAA President has already issued a decision on the safety assessment of the Polish research reactor.
The key purpose of TPR 2 of nuclear installations is to improve nuclear safety of nuclear facilities. As part of the review, each country makes self-assessment in line with the guidelines produced by the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG) and the Western European Nuclear Regulators’ Association (WENRA). Based on the review, national reports are drawn up, which are then submitted to the EU experts for opinion.
Schedule of activities
Phase 1 of TPR 2 started in mid-2022 and will last until the end of October 2023. Polish nuclear facility subject to TPR is a research reactor Maria at the National Centre for Nuclear Research in Świerk n. Warsaw. The PAA President, who exercises oversight of Polish nuclear facilities, issued a decision imposing an obligation on the Centre’s Director to submit the current safety and fire safety of MARIA for review. The review report will be then submitted to the PAA. Meanwhile, other countries engaged in TPR 2 will also carry out the review of their nuclear facilities.
Another TPR 2 phase is a peer review conducted by member states. This phase will last until mid-2024. The final considerations and recommendations about reinforcement of safety and fire safety will be conducted in 2025. The final report is to be published by ENSREG in the autumn of 2027. For more information about TPR 2 please visit ENSREG website at: https://www.ensreg.eu/tpr-national-action-plans-tpr-2.
Research reactor Maria
Maria is currently the only operating nuclear reactor in Poland and one of the four nuclear facilities in the country. It has been operating since December 1974, mostly for research and scientific purposes but also for manufacturing. Maria manufactures isotopes used for radiopharmaceuticals (Molybdenum-99). For more information about Maria please go to the NCBJ website.