On the 3rd of November, SONS provided the Czech Technical University with permission for the critical assembly (training reactor) VR-2. A critical assembly VR-2 is a special nuclear device which needs an additional external source of neutrons to sustain the fission chain reaction. Therefore, it is only needed to shut down the neutron source and the fission chain reaction would stop. That means the nuclear facility is inherently safe.
The reactor will enhance utilisation capacity of experimental and educational reactor VR-1 and will bring another great potential in training of key nuclear specialists not only for Czech nuclear sector, but the collaboration with IAEA and other universities is expected. The DNR FNSPE CTU in Prague has over 25 years of operation experience with the VR-1 reactor and it is running on 90-95 % of its capacity (sometimes even 100 %) and the demand for education still grows. Hence the experts of CTU decided to build the new nuclear reactor VR-2 with anticipated commissioning in 2022.
The czech version of permit is available.