The ANVS has made a change to the licence issued to NRG PALLAS. This change is necessary because NRG PALLAS wants to increase the limit of the internal site boundary dose at Petten. NRG PALLAS also plans to convert an existing building into a new laboratory. Until midnight on 20 June 2025, all parties had the opportunity to make submissions in response to the draft licence. One statement of view was submitted.
Radiation safety for the environment and local residents
Petten Research Centre (OLP), also known as Energy Health Campus (EHC), holds a number of different licences. These include the licence to operate the High Flux Reactor, the licence to build the new Pallas reactor, the Curium licence and the licence for other NRG facilities. The map below shows the current licensing situation. Each licence is issued for a particular site. The increase in the limit of the site boundary dose only applies to the internal site boundary between the licence for the other NRG facilities. It involves raising the limit of the internal site boundary dose from 40 microsievert per year to 100 microsievert per year. The dose limit remains well below the legal limit and continues to guarantee the safety of employees and visitors.
The site dose at the outer boundary of the EHC remains unchanged: the situation for the surrounding area and local residents is unaffected and the same dose limits are still in force.
Increase limit necessary due to construction activities
The need for the increase has partly arisen from the construction activities at the site and from the expected increase in production of medical isotopes. Medical isotopes are raw materials for radioactive medicines such as those used in the treatment of cancer. In undertaking these activities, NRG PALLAS is required to ensure that exposure to radiation remains as low as possible at all times.
Image: © ANVS
Map of the Petten Research Centre with delineation of the area to which the increased limit for the site boundary dose applies. The wide blue line shows where the limit of the site boundary dose has been increased from 40 to 100 microsievert per year
Increase in transport and new laboratory
NRG PALLAS expects a rise in the number of internal transports of radioactive materials, due primarily to the stepping up of medical isotope production and the disposal of radioactive waste. In addition, the company plans to convert an existing building on the site into a laboratory for research using radioactive materials.
Appeals possible until midnight on 29 August 2025
If you are an interested party and you are directly affected by our decision to grant this licence, you could haveappealled against the final licence (in Dutch) until midnight on 29 August 2025. This is also possible if you cannot reasonably be held accountable for having failed to submit a statement of view earlier.
Responses to the draft licence
Until midnight on 20 June 2025, all parties had the opportunity to submit a response to the draft licence. One member of the public responded and submitted a statement of view. This statement of view led to some clarifications in the text. No other changes were made to the content of the licence. We will provide a more detailed account of these matters in the final licence.
Would you like to find out more?
For more information, see the official announcement (in Dutch) in the Government Gazette.