It will cost Atomic Energy of Canada (AECL) approximately $70 million ($67 million U.S.) to repair its 52-year-old National Research Universal (NRU) nuclear reactor in Chalk River, Ontario.
The Globe and Mail reports that AECL chief nuclear officer Bill Pilkington provided that estimate to a House of Commons committee on October 19, during a hearing into the medical isotope shortage.
The estimate includes repairs to the facility, as well as revenue lost from the lack of medical isotope sales since the NRU reactor went offline in May due to a major water leak.
According to the report, Pilkington told the committee that the $70 million figure is above and beyond the $120 million ($115 million U.S.) that AECL spends annually to operate the Chalk River facility.
He also said that AECL is committed to operating the reactor, which supplies approximately 50% of medical isotopes to the U.S., through 2011 to 2016. In its most recent assessment, AECL said the reactor remains on schedule to return to service in the first quarter of 2010.
Related Reading
AECL moves toward NRU repairs, October 9, 2009
Report: Canada considers splitting AECL, September 15, 2009
AECL shutdown bites MDS revenues, September 10, 2009
SNM: Nuclear medicine tests being postponed, September 9, 2009
AECL: Chalk River will be back online, August 28, 2009
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