Construction of world first MYRRHA underway
Kick-off for the construction of MINERVA
On 25 June 2024, after the first concepts in 1998 and the government's decision in 2018 to build MYRRHA in phases, the moment has finally arrived. Minister of Energy Tinne Van der Straeten gave the starting signal for the groundbreaking ceremony at the MINERVA construction site, the first phase of MYRRHA. This opens the door for pioneering applications by MYRRHA IVZW/AISBL and the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), led by reactor physicist Hamid Aït Abderrahim. Think of improved cancer treatments, fundamental physics research, fusion materials research, accelerator technology and the optimal processing of radioactive nuclear waste.
Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten oversaw the kick-off ceremony at the MINERVA construction site in Mol and Fashion designer Flora Miranda presented her textile artwork “Spectralization,” inspired by MYRRHA.
Truly unique, multifunctional research infrastructure
MYRRHA is a multifunctional research infrastructure, but above all truly unique. It is the world's first research reactor that is driven by a 300 m long particle accelerator. MINERVA, which was launched today, is the first phase of the MYRRHA project.
MINERVA, will consist of a particle accelerator and two target facilities. In addition to researching new materials for tomorrows reactors, fundamental research and accelerator technology improvement, MINERVA will be used specifically for medical purposes. It will be producing a new generation of medical radioisotopes that emit alpha particles which only attack a cancer patient's tumor, leaving the healthy tissue intact. This allows cancer treatment that is far less invasive for the patient.
Provided that the necessary funding is made available, the MYRRHA subcritical reactor with transmutation research will be built at a later stage. Its technology can be used to reduce the volume and radiotoxicity of high level nuclear waste.
Hamid Aït Abderrahim: “MYRRHA may enable us to reuse some of the high level nuclear waste from our current nuclear power plants, which remains radiotoxic for up to 300,000 years, as fuel. Our research shows that we can return nuclear waste to its natural radiotoxicity levels after only 300 years. This would allow us to reduce the problem of nuclear waste from a geological timescale to a human timescale. We can also reduce volumes by a factor of 100. After 40 years of nuclear power plant operations, Belgium's high level nuclear waste covers the surface area of a football pitch at 0.5 m high. With the technology we are researching with MYRRHA, we can reduce that height to 5 mm. This makes MYRRHA an interesting European research project that can help to optimise the nuclear waste problem of our current reactors. However, today we are here for MINERVA's beginning."
Construction of MINERVA to start today
MYRRHA will be built in three phases. Phase 1 will be the creation of MINERVA, which consists of the particle accelerator and two target facilities. In phase 2, the particle accelerator will be expanded to 600 MeV to increase the fundamental physics portfolio and expand it with radioactive isotope beam (RIB) facilities. In phase 3, the nuclear reactor itself will be built. The European research project should be operational from 2038.
Textile artwork 'Spectralisation'
During the kick-off ceremony on the site where MYRRHA is soon to be built, fashion designer Flora Miranda presented 'Spectralisation', a textile artwork inspired by MYRRHA's technical data.
The artwork consists of 150 printed textile panels made of organic material.
Flora Miranda: “As an artist, I like to visualise data to create culture and beauty, merging the logic of science with the poetry of art. 'Spectralisation' is a generative artwork that offers a dizzying mix of technical drawings, wire structures and line graphs. I want this artwork to form a picture of the research that is taking place here. We can walk past the future particle accelerator and experience the physical processes that will help break down our nuclear waste."