Minister of Industry Marzena Czarnecka dismissed the director of the National Nuclear Research Center Professor Krzysztof Kurek – the Ministry of Industry was stated. The reason is the need to improve the work of the Institute, especially in the operation of the Maria research reactor.
March 31 this year After 10 years, the current permission of the President of the State Nuclear Study Agency for the operation of the nuclear research reactor Maria at NCBJ Świerk has expired, and the new license has not yet been obtained (at the request submitted on August 20 last year). The reactor had to be turned off.
This coincided with the planned cyclical break in the reactor's work. As he signaled in Wednesday's conversation with PAP prof. Kurek, the technical break is to last until May 8, and at that time modernization works are to be carried out. At the same time – according to the professor – there is a good chance of obtaining a nuclear supervision permit for the further work of the reactor.
The minister dismissed the Director of the NCBJ
On Thursday afternoon about the dismissal of prof. Kurka, the Ministry of Industry informed by entry on portal X, entitled “Change in NCBJ”.
“Bearing in mind the need to improve the functioning of the National Center for Nuclear Research, and in particular the need to properly priority treatment of the research reactor Maria, the Minister of Industry decided to dismiss Prof. Krzysztof Kurek from the function” – said the ministry.
“The Ministry of Industry will expect a new director who will be selected through a competition, presenting the NCBJ activity plan as a research center supporting the implementation of nuclear energy in Poland, with a special role of the research reactor, and then implementing it” – added.
The Ministry of Industry thanked prof. Krzysztof Kurek for nearly 10 years of management of the NCBJ.
The reactor Maria stopped his work
As PAP explained on Wednesday prof. Kurek, August 20, 2024 – in accordance with the nuclear law – NCBJ submitted to PAA (which acts as nuclear supervision) all required documents to extend Maria's permission to work. – Nuclear supervision is half a year to consider documents, but if he requests additional documents or analyzes, the deadline for consideration may extend – explained the former head of the NCBJ.
– We counted on the fact that there may be a slip in obtaining a license – noted prof. Kurek and explained that this is why a break in the reactor's operation was planned a few weeks after the expiry date of the former license, i.e. from April 1 to May 8.
The researcher explained that the research reactor works in cycles and always has several technical breaks a year. During such breaks, operational activities and modernization of reactor systems are carried out. The last large stage of modernization took place in 2023, when Maria was turned off for seven months – 70 wardrobes with electronics were replaced.
“Atomic law has exacerbated”
– Over the past 10 years, however, atomic law has become significantly exacerbated. We must meet more requirements than before – said prof. Cock. However, these requirements are not indicated in the regulations directly. – Atomic law precisely determines what requirements to meet energy reactors, i.e. large, which work 24 hours a day. There are no specific guidelines for research reactors – the scientist pointed out. Maria is a research reactor, so there is an interpretation of the rules.
He also clarified that Maria has been working for 50 years. – The fact that the license was passed on March 31 and the reactor cannot work from April 1 – does not mean that the safety of its operation has dropped. Only the requirements have changed. We must adapt them to the new atomic law – commented the interlocutor of PAP and added that if the new license occurs before the end of the technical break, there will be no perturbation in the production of radioisotope for nuclear medicine.
Prof. Kurek specified on April 2 that if the process of obtaining a license is prolonged, NCBJ -Polish – a producer of radiopharmaceuticals will have to buy radioisotopes on the external market, and this is a much more expensive solution than the production of these materials for radiation therapy in the Polish reactor.
Minister Czarnecka on March 28 this year. She gave a lecture for participants of the Silesian University of Technology Business School, during which she referred to reports of the withdrawal of the Maria reactor. – This reactor did not receive relevant consents and permits from the Polish Atomist Agency, but there is a presumption that in mid -May he will get – he will meet the security conditions – she said.
In this context, the minister reminded that on the basis of experience at the reactor Maria NCBJ scientists are working on the project and construction of the HTGR high -temperature research reactor. HTGR is a SMR reactor to achieve a much higher cooling temperature at the output than water -cooled modular reactors.
Source of the main photo: PAP/Albert Zawada