Area:
Industry

Topics:
Uranium enrichment, stable isotope enrichment, ultra centrifuges

Security:
Acceptance after final check by URENCO, no photo or video equipment (including mobile phones) allowed

Transport:
Bus leaves 08.45 hrs and returns approx. 18.30 hrs

Nota Bene:
There is no option to attend Wednesday morning refresher courses.

Lunch:
Offered by URENCO Nederland B.V.

Schematic program:

• Reception/Security
• Coffee/Tea
• Introduction Urenco
• Refresher Course: Fundamentals of isotope enrichment by ultra-centrifugation – application of enriched isotopes – risks associated with enrichment of uranium by: Frank Tuenter
• Visit facilities in small groups
• Coffee/Tea pause

Information:

URENCO’s site in the Netherlandsoperates two separation plants, SP4 and SP5, of which the newest plant SP5 – operational since 2000 – houses over 80% of total site capacity. The Almelosite is unique because besides uranium enrichment also stable isotopes are enriched c.q.produced. Stable isotopes are applied all around the world in nuclear medicine for the treatment of hundreds of thousands of patients.

Since 1990 URENCO Stable Isotopeshas employed centrifuge technology to separate isotopes of elements like iridium, xenon, germanium and zinc for a number of commercial purposes, supporting the medical industry and other key industrial applications. Financially spoken this is not a major part of URENCO’s business, but it is of considerable value from commercial, social and environmental perspectives.

While the separation of elements other than uranium has presented many new challenges, the development committed to stable isotopes is now delivering value in two specific segments of the medical market: diagnostics (gamma cameras can accurately detect disease progression and staging in vital organs) and brachytherapy (allow production of high specific activity sources for cancer irradiation).

Industrial applications of stable isotopes focus on the nuclear market and non-destructive service providers. Zinc, depleted in ⁶⁴Zn, is widely used in nuclear reactors to reduce radiation levels to workers. Iridium enriched in ¹⁹¹Ir and Selenium enriched in ⁸⁴Se are the precursors for high specific activity radioactive sources ¹⁹²Ir and ⁸⁵Se applied in in non-destructive testing studies.

 

 

Drilling a Geothermal Well (cf. Oil & Gas) Drilling a Geothermal Well in a Greenhouse Area

Technical Visit #9

DAGOandECW, Middenmeer

TV 9:               Dutch Association of Geothermal Operators (DAGO) and Energie Combinatie Wieringermeer (ECW), Middenmeer

Area:               Non-NuclearIndustry

Topics:            Unwillingly Produced Natural Radioactivity, Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM)

Security:         no special demands

Transport:       bus leaves 09:00 h and returns ± 18:30 h at the World Forum

Nota Bene:     there is no optionto attend Wednesday morning refresher courses

Lunch:             lunch boxesoffered by the IRPA 2018 organisation

Program:         Schematic

• Reception Coffee/Tea
• Presentation: General Overview of DutchGeothermal Projects

by:  Martin van der Hout

• Lunch offered by DAGO
• Visit ECW Geothermal Wells and Greenhouse Heating
• Coffee/Tea pause
• Refresher Course: Natural Radioactivity in Geothermal Projects

by: Lonneke van Bochove

Information:   Agriport A7 is the most modern Agropark in the world for large-scale greenhouse horticulture. “Energy Combination Wieringermeer” (ECW) is a multi-utility energy company in the Agriport A7 area. ECW‘s objective is to contribute optimally to the most sustainable energy supply in the area. Through cooperation within the supply chain, supply chain integration and cross-overs between different chains creates good opportunities for the use of waste products (heat, process water, CO₂) of businesses in the area. This is not only good for the environment, but also an excellent opportunity to reduce costs and enhance competitiveness.

To make the production of greenhouse products (e.g. tomatoes, bell peppers) even more sustainable, ECWstarted exploring and exploiting geothermal energy. After well completion hot water is pumped up, the heat is exchanged and transported via an independent secondary system of heating pipes to the greenhouses, while the cooled-down water is reinjected to the same geological stratum from which the hot water has originally been pumped up.

Unfortunately, with the pumping up, cooling and degasification of the hot water in combination with construction materials applied chemical processes occur leading to deposition of chemical substances one way or the other contaminated with naturally occurring radionuclides. Such contaminated deposits are generally known as Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material. The occurrence of NORM was a “surprise” to the first geothermal operators in the Netherlandsin 2010.

Dutch geothermal operators set up an association to promote the collective interest and to contribute to the safety and effectivity of geothermal energy, viz. Dutch Association of Geothermal Operators(DAGO). DAGOmembers share their experiences and knowledge of geothermal in an open and equal manner, particularly to new projects. Through pooling and sharing of these experiences, DAGOimproves and accelerates the opportunities in creating a standardization policy, a higher efficiency and the accessibility of information within the geothermal industry. In this respect DAGOdeveloped NORM guidelines and standardised NORM operating procedures. Together with NOGEPA(North sea Oil & Gas Production Association), DAGOdevelops specific geothermal standards and policies implementing Dutch and European Union regulations.

 

 

Accélérateur Groningen-ORsay (AGOR)

Technical Visit #10

RUG/KVI-CART, Groningen

TV 10:             RijksUniversiteit, Groningen (RUG) /  Kernfysisch Versneller Instituut – Center for Advanced Radiation Technology (KVI-CART), Groningen

Area:               Research & Applications

Topics:            Particle Accelerator, Accelerator Physics, Nuclear Physics, Astrophysics, Medical Physics

Security:         no additional demands

Transport:       bus leaves 08:45 h and returns ± 19:45 h at the World Forum

Nota Bene:     there is no optionto attend Wednesday morning refresher courses

Lunch:             lunch offered by KVI-CART

Program:         Schematic

• Reception/Security Coffee/Tea
• Presentation: KVI Introduction

by:  Hans Beijers

• Lunch
• Tour KVI-CART
• Coffee/Tea pause
• Refresher Course: Radiation Protection and Particle Accelerators

by:Hans Beijers

Information:    Since 1996 the AGOR (Accélérateur Groningen-ORsay) cyclotron – result of a cooperation and co-design of KVI, Groningenand IPN,