The Budapest Reseach Reactor turned 65 this year. Originally, a 2 MW facility was buit  in 1957-59 on the present location. Since then, several major upgrades have been performed. An upgrade to 5 MW in 1967, another one to 10 MW power in 1992, the latter combined with installation of a cold neutron source and building two additional measuring halls, as well as with a full refurbishment of the research infrastructure surrounding the reactor. The last major development was related to a transition from high (36%) to low (20%) enrichment uranium fuel in 2012. The presently used fuel stock enables reactor operation until 2028.

The National Nuclear Safety Authority recently issued a 10-year operating licence for the Budapest Research Reactor, until December, 2033. However, the authorisation is conditional upon solving several technical and safety issues, including the reinforcement of the reactor building structure towards the present earthquake safety measures, a reconstruction that has already been started. Together with the latter, the BNC staff are in course of modernising both the reactor itself and the research equipments. The refurbishment and upgrade are foreseen to be implemented in 2024-2025. During this period, the reactor will be operational most of the time, but certainly at a considerably reduced level in the first half of 2024. The schedule will be communicated to the potential users worldwide.

Due to the present situation, BNC's regular spring beamtime proposal submission is postponed to autumn. The new deadline will be announced by late summer, 2024.

BNC Executive Board