Annual Report 2012 Management Report
33
NRG is an international nuclear services provider and, as operator of the High Flux Reactor in Petten, is the largest producer of medical isotopes in Europe and number two in the world. Every day, 24,000 patients in hospitals across the world are treated with isotopes from Petten.
2 Annual Report 2012
NRG Profile Contents NRG specialises in nuclear services. The company has around 500 expert and innovative employees and works globally in markets for nuclear technology and waste processing. NRG operates the High Flux Reactor and is a market leader in Europe in producing medical isotopes. NRG is the authority in the Netherlands with regard to radiation protection. NRG has partners in science, industry and healthcare. Its core activities are implemented by three business units: Irradiation & Development, Radiation & Environment and Safety & Power. NRG was founded on 17 September 1998 as a general partnership by Stichting Energieonderzoek Centrum Nederland (ECN) and KEMA Nucleair B.V. As of 1 December 2006, ECN took over the KEMA Nucleair B.V. shares and the name of the private limited company was changed to ECN Nucleair B.V. NRG’s registered place of business is Petten.
Introduction 4 Report from the managing partner
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Management report 9 Safe 9 Reliable 15 Financially robust 17 Irradiation & Development 19 Radiation & Environment 22 Safety & Power 25 Research programme 27 Human Resources 28 Annual accounts
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Organisation chart Management team as at 1 May 2013 Works Council as at 31 December 2012
31 31 31
Core values Safe and reliable • Financially robust • Market and customer-oriented • Professional and expert • Open and transparent •
2012 Key Figures Operating income (x € 1,000) Company result (x € 1,000) Net result (x € 1,000) FTE Employees Sickness absence (%) Average radiation dose (People-mSv)
74,234 258 25 440 486 3.0 0,54
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Introduction
I only experienced a limited period in 2012 as managing director. When I was appointed on 1 November, I expected three crucial files to demand my attention. Firstly, the disposal of historic radioactive waste which is still stored on site and which partially dates from the period prior to the establishment of NRG. The second was the tritium contamination in the groundwater. And finally, the long-term legal conflict with an association of former employees regarding the indexing of pensions. By the beginning of 2013, two of these three subjects were already in the solution phase. The action plan for the disposal of historic radioactive waste had been approved, with the first waste already having been removed. The conflict regarding pensions is awaiting a judgement in cassation from the Supreme Court. During a maintenance shutdown in November, the company was confronted with an anomaly in the cooling water system. As this is an undesirable situation, NRG decided not to submit a request for restart to the Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards Department (KFD). NRG has taken responsibility in this and decided to take the time it needs to resolve this problem. The 50+- year-old High Flux Reactor (HFR) will only be restarted when the management considers this to be safe. Expansion of the primary system through application of an extra seal ring was chosen as technological solution. Considering the reactor’s service status, it was considered important to gain insight into the status of all nuclear installations. For this reason, an Asset Management Programme was launched to guarantee the safe and reliable operation of all nuclear installations until the end of their service life. An assessment has now been implemented regarding the status of both the installations as well as the organisation. Research into the integrity of the nuclear installations has revealed that considerable investments are required in the coming three years in order to operate the installations reliably. This organisational assessment has led to a programme of improvements to systems and procedures and the assigning of responsibilities. This is partly being achieved by building knowledge and skills and by collecting data on the current status of the installations. In mid-April 2013, the Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards Department (KFD) issued a certificate of no objection to the restart of the HFR, under certain conditions. Many employees in various project teams from all business
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units and staff departments have worked extremely hard in recent months to make this possible. I would like to express my sincere appreciation for this. In view of the investments needed to operate the research reactor in a safe and reliable way until the end of its intended service life, we need a programme that focuses on obtaining sufficient income and on financing the investments. The company needs to become financially robust, but the commercial strategy for this was lacking. This is also required in view of the investments in the new PALLAS reactor, which will assume the role of the current HFR from 2024. Meanwhile, a new pricing strategy for the long-term delivery of isotopes has now been formulated on the basis of a business case. The Council of Ministers and the North Holland Provincial Executive have also approved the proposal to establish the ‘Foundation Preparation Pallas Reactor’, based on the advice of the Committee Preparer from the Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZ). Both bodies had previously each made 40 million Euros available as a loan to finance the preparations and the tender for the design. These developments now pose questions regarding NRG’s future as a company. This future not only involves technology. NRG must become fit and healthy and needs to mobilise all knowledge and experience within the company, from top to bottom. Objectives, tasks and responsibilities need to be formulated and applied in a clear way. This is important in order to develop NRG into a High Reliability Organisation, an organisation which focuses on optimum operations, which is alert for issues that can go wrong, which makes optimum use of management and employee expertise and which operates proactively and determines the conditions under which it does and does not work. In short, an organisation which makes choices. And all this within a safety culture in which risks are taken seriously. For a healthy future, NRG also needs a commercial strategy. It must chart opportunities, analyse the markets in which it can operate and then make choices. A healthy financial policy is leading for this. Returns on products and services are required in order to guarantee the continuity of the company. 2013 is a crucial year for the company. Asset management needs to be implemented to facilitate safe and reliable operation. A future-proof price strategy must also be
implemented to develop a financially robust company which can make the necessary investments. In this respect, lack of time and resources are NRG’s current biggest risks. Cooperation within the organisation is therefore vitally important. The management team has chosen a joint approach in which managers assume extra responsibilities, also those falling outside their traditional tasks. If the objectives are to be achieved, there is no room for contradictions between the business units, between staff and business units and between NRG and ECN. The management team has taken the lead in this cooperation. Financially, 2012 was a disappointing year. The shutdown of the reactor in November meant that income from isotope sales has remained behind schedule. Operating income was 74.2 million Euros. The net result was also significantly lower than estimated at 25,000 Euros. The good results from the Safety & Power and Radiation & Environment business units have meant that the net result has remained positive. Nevertheless, as the HFR can only be restarted after May, the prospects for 2013 are poor and a loss is expected. For an organisation which operates a nuclear research reactor, openness and transparency towards the environment are essential. Good consultation with central and decentralised government is high on the NRG agenda. NRG is also taking the necessary initiatives and inviting all stakeholders for discussions and work visits. Niels Unger managing director
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A cell operator working in extreme concentration with hot cell manipulators to process isotope waste for a customer.
Report from the managing partner
For NRG, 2012 was a year characterised by many radical developments. The company faced setbacks as well as many positive developments. ECN is closely involved in subsidiary NRG and where possible contributes to required solutions. Positive developments included the approach to the historic and current radioactive waste which is stored safely on site in Petten, but which needs to be stored at COVRA near Vlissingen. A new programme has been launched for this, the Radioactive Waste Management Programme (RWMP). The first waste was removed in 2012. Preparations for further transport are currently underway. The final historic waste must have been moved from the Petten site to COVRA by 31 December 2019. The transport of this waste is financed partly by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Preparations for the new PALLAS reactor, which is set to take over the role of the High Flux Reactor in the future, proceeded slowly but surely in 2012. The Ministry of Economic Affairs established a PALLAS Organisation and Financing Advice Committee in 2012. A Committee Preparer was appointed on 1 November. This Committee Preparer was assigned by the Ministry to assess the project, establish a professional organisation and develop a plan for private financing of the reactor. His report was published in the spring of 2013. In April 2013, the Council of Ministers and the North Holland Provincial Executive approved the proposal to establish the ‘Foundation Preparation Pallas Reactor’ and we hope that a tender will be made for the design later this year. The current research reactor had setbacks in 2012 following the discovery of an anomaly in the cooling water system. This meant that the reactor was not restarted following a maintenance shutdown in November. Furthermore, in 2011 a tritium contamination was discovered in the groundwater around the reactor. The cause of this was established in 2012. In November 2012, a process was started to bring the High Flux Reactor to such a level that it can be safely and reliably operated until the end of its intended service life. This included implementing an Asset Integrity Assessment, resolving the anomaly in the cooling water system and starting decontamination of the contaminated groundwater. NRG management and employees worked hard on these solutions in the final months of 2012 and in the first months of 2013. ECN would like to express its appreciation for this. Being able to operate safely and reliably also requires investments. In consultation with ECN, the NRG management has therefore developed plans to facilitate these investments. This will entail inevitable price increases for the medical isotopes that NRG delivers across the world.
An ongoing topic is the conflict between ECN/NRG and an association of former employees regarding the indexing of pensions. This conflict has a long legal history which was still continuing at the end of 2012. The Supreme Court is now assessing this conflict in cassation. In any event, this requires a substantial financial provision which places a heavy financial burden on the future of both organisations. A new director was appointed as of 1 November 2012, Mr N.C. Unger. ECN is delighted that it was able to appoint Niels Unger. His experience in various commercial enterprises with a technical infrastructure is of tremendous value to NRG. He succeeded Dr V. A. Wichers who had fulfilled this role on an interim basis. In September 2012, NRG took leave of Dr R. J. Stol, who had been director for approximately nine years. Paul Korting Chief executive officer ECN
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NRG’s programme of nuclear radiation hygiene courses is one of the most complete in the Netherlands. NRG is recognised by national government as a training institute for organising radiation hygiene training and exams at various levels.
Management report SAFE Safety in all areas and security of our facilities are top priorities for NRG. This applies to both the safety of the environment as well as of our own employees and others who work on the site. However, non-proliferation of nuclear fuels and nuclear technology and the processing of radioactive waste are also safety issues. At NRG, one of our standards is to work safely. If that cannot be guaranteed, work will not be carried out. Safety is one of NRG’s core values.
Health and safety In 2012 the new NRG health and safety policy was determined by the management and approved by the Works Council. The consultation structures required to implement this policy have been established and the business units and staff groups have appointed prevention officers. The Risk Inventory and Evaluation (RIE) was also started and this will be submitted for approval by the Works Council in the first half of 2013.
Safety and quality In the year under review, responsibility for the emergency organisation at the Petten Research Location was transferred from ECN to NRG. An order followed from the Safety Region which meant that NRG has become ‘fire service obliged’. Agreements were reached with the Safety Region for the fire service for Covidien, ECN, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) Institute for Energy and Transport and NRG, with the NRG company fire service being used as government fire service. As a result of the transfer, the commander of the NRG company fire service became responsible for coordinating the emergency organisation. In the year under review, this had already been implemented with a training and exercise programme.
NRG has an active policy to prevent and reduce the number of (potential) risk situations in the company. The use of workshops is an important tool in this. Employees are learning to confront each other about safe behaviour and reach agreements for continued improvements.
On 1 January 2012, the Strategic Services Act (WSD) and the Strategic Services Implementing Decree came into force. The starting point for this legislation was that due to security reasons and international agreements, strategic goods and services cannot or can only be exported under certain conditions. The law covers the development or production of a weapon of mass destruction, military goods and dual use goods and services. There is no ban on offering technical assistance or supplying dual use goods for civil use, but an export licence is required. In the year under review, NRG was also confronted with WSD licensing obligations because of its international contacts regarding nuclear knowledge and materials. In 2012 and 2013, NRG has worked intensively to implement the new WSD regulations. This has involved numerous consultations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responsible for export control, to obtain the required export permits. Furthermore, an intensive quality management process took place in 2012: the existing centrally integrated 9001 quality system was adjusted to the new organisation. Instead of a central quality system, an integrated quality system will be implemented which places responsibility for primary processes with the business units. Significant progress was made in 2012. The approach was supported by Lloyds in May with a certificate for three years. In November the progress stalled, but now there is confidence that the conversion will be achieved by mid 2013.
In the past year, NRG has organised workshops for its employees based on the motto: Be Aware, Safe and Professional. Small groups of employees addressed questions like: what are the characteristics of a ‘nuclear professional’? Do we meet all these characteristics? What behaviour should we embrace and on which behaviour should we confront each other? May we make mistakes? These workshops contribute to safety awareness within NRG. NRG is also continuing to register, list and addressing potentially unsafe situations and events. Employees are encouraged to report these. A new system was introduced last year and agreements have been reached with the business units and reporting employees about the followup of the measures. Communication and reporting to the management has been improved. All these improvements should promote the idea that ‘reporting helps’. Radiation protection As usual in the nuclear sector, NRG also focuses on preventing employees being exposed to unnecessary radiation. For this the ALARA principle applies: as low as reasonably achievable. The collective dose at NRG is 80% determined by reactor operation on the HFR. The dose is proportionally related to reactor availability. The unavailability of the reactor in the last quarter has meant that the collective dose is lower than the year before: 173 man∙mSv compared to 218 man∙mSv in 2011. As a result of appropriate measures, the additional maintenance and inspection activities are not observed in the collective dose. The discovery of tritium in the groundwater around the reactor has led to extra information on radiation protection inside and outside NRG, including to the residents in the municipality of Zijpe.
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Accident Despite every precaution, in September there was a conventional occupational accident during decontamination activities on the site. Two people became ill after inhaling volatile hydrocarbons on opening an offshore tank. They were taken to hospital for observation. The incident did not result in any long-term health damage for the personnel involved. NRG learned from this that the focus on nuclear safety must not be at the expense of conventional safety. The Root Cause analysis of the incident led to improved working methods in the decontamination workplace.
Received radiation dose at NRG Average radiation dose in millisievert (mSv)
0,54
in 2012
2008: 0.57
2009: 0.70
2010: 0.62
2011: 0.74
Highest individual radiation dose (mSv)
4,88
in 2012
2008: 4.77
2009: 6.35
2010: 4.94
2011: 6.10
Dose limits: The dose limit for a radiological worker: 20 mSv per year; Members of the public: 1 mSv per year; Contribution of the natural background radiation in the Netherlands: 2 mSv per year.
Security In the year under review, the IAEA IPPAS follow-up mission took place with the focus on nuclear security. A broadly composed team of international auditors checked the IPPAS mission recommendations from 2008. The IPPAS team also assessed NRG with respect to the new IAEA recommendations. The achieved results were well received. Points of attention were given concerning conformity with regard to the new recommendations. On 6 March 2012, a managerial discussion took place between the NRG Management and the Inspector General for Environment and Transport and the director of the Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards Department. Views were exchanged about security measures. The Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards Department was critical. Whereas the security of NRG had been reactive in the past, in the future the government expects a more proactive approach. For this reason, NRG will place high priority on security in the coming years. In the year under review, various activities relating to onsite security were launched. The zoning around the nuclear facilities was revised and adapted where necessary. In addition, a facility was constructed for searching vehicles at the site entrance, which should prevent queues developing on Westerduinweg and ensure safe access to the site. At the end of the second quarter, NRG received the decree from the Minister approving the NRG security package. In the third quarter of 2011, NRG agreed a new contract with a security company. The activities started on 1 January 2012; the quality of the delivered services is monitored strictly by NRG. In the fourth quarter of the year under review, the focus was on the new legislation and regulations regarding nuclear security, security of radioactive substances and the new design base threat on cyber criminality. NRG is playing an important role here both individually and in the Nucleair Nederland association. In 2012, NRG was visited 31 times by inspectors from the Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards Department regarding nuclear security. Conversion to low-enriched uranium High-enriched uranium ‘targets’ are currently used for the production of molybdenum in the HFR. The use of highenriched uranium (HEU) is undesirable in terms of nonproliferation. The international community wants to reduce the use of HEU. In the “HEU-LEU conversion” project, NRG, Covidien and AREAVA CERCA are working to replace HEU targets with targets with a lower enrichment grade (LEU). In this respect, NRG is working to qualify the LEU
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Safety in all areas and security of facilities are absolute priorities for NRG. This applies both to safety of the environment as well as to our own employees and others who work on the site.
target for irradiation in the HFR. In the year under review, NRG designed an irradiation test facility for this purpose. The LEU qualification research took place in the second half of the year with irradiation in the HFR followed by an all-encompassing post-radiation investigation in the NRG Hot Cell Laboratories. The results were presented to the authorities for assessment. Radioactive Waste Management Programme In the first quarter of the year under review, preparations for the Radioactive Waste Management Programme (RWMP) started. This programme initiates projects to remove all the radioactive waste from the Petten Research Location. This includes the existing historic radioactive waste, the operational waste from the reactor and the laboratories and the residue materials released when dismantling facilities. The most important parts of the RWMP are the coordinated planning, the scope and risk determination, the insight into costs and the efficient and effective use of the knowledge and experience present at NRG. In the first quarter, an interim programme manager was appointed as Committee Preparer. Later in the year under review, a permanent programme manager from outside NRG was appointed who will lead the RWMP for the coming years. Inside and outside NRG, there is a great deal of interest in the progress of the Radioactive Waste Management Programme. This was caused by stagnation of previous plans to dispose of the stored historic waste to COVRA. The RWMP was set up to break through this deadlock. On 16 October 2012, an information meeting was organised with the Ministry of Economic Affairs for the municipality and local residents in Zijpe town hall about the waste project and other developments and projects within NRG. During this meeting, the issues were explained and discussed with the residents, and there were plenty of opportunities to ask questions and conduct an open discussion with those present. In the third quarter, the Ministry of Economic Affairs altered NRG’s Nuclear Energy Act permit. An end date was included for completing the removal of the historic waste. Removal is taking place in phases: by the end of 2017, 1,700 containers of historic waste must have been removed from the Petten site while the remainder of the stored historic radioactive waste must have been transported to COVRA by the end of 2019. Planning and actions from RWMP now focus on compliance with the permit obligations. NRG has submitted approach plans in order to achieve both deadlines. The Minister approved the plans in early 2013. In the period under review, NRG was not only procedurally but also practically engaged in preparing the removal of the historic radioactive waste. A start was made with the adjustments to the Hot Cell Laboratories (HCL) in which
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the waste will be characterised and sorted under safe conditions into high, medium and low activity waste. Within NRG, a start was also made with testing the waste sorting process. The first historic waste was removed from the Petten Research Location at the end of 2012.
As a result of the transfer, the commander of the NRG company fire service became responsible for the actual coordination of the emergency organisation. NRG’s company fire service is intended primarily for controlling incidents within the NRG nuclear facilities. It is also deployed in the rest of the OLP (Research Location Petten) as detached post of the government fire service.
NRG employees provide top knowledge about processes, risks, reliability and the safety of nuclear systems.
Reliable For the responsible operation of the company, it must be possible to operate all installations reliably. Because some of the installations are already more than 50 years old and are suffering signs of ageing, optimum management of the installations and mapping and managing the natural risks are essential. Furthermore, reliability is not only important for the installations but also for customers and employees. Reliability is therefore one of the company’s core values. Complementary Safety Margin Assessment Following the nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan, as a result of the tsunami on the east coast (March 2011), all nuclear plants in Europe underwent a safety margin assessment - better known as the ‘stress test’. Although the Petten High flux Reactor is not a nuclear power plant, but a reactor for research and isotope production, NRG also carried out a complementary safety margin assessment in 2011. The nuclear reactor and the other nuclear facilities on the business site in Petten were tested on their robustness. The report was sent to the House of Representatives on 6 March 2012. It was shown that the nuclear installations in Petten could withstand extreme conditions such as flooding, earthquake or a combination of both. It was also shown that the nuclear installations in Petten have margins with regard to all safety relevant permit demands. However, the likelihood that such extreme events will occur is minimal. For the complementary safety margin assessment, NRG adapted the European Stress test scenarios for nuclear power plants to the specific nature of its facilities in Petten. The safety margin assessment took eight months and not only included the impact of natural events, but also events caused by human actions. For security reasons, the results of the assessment on wilful disruption were not published. The assessment also showed that it is possible to further improve safety margins with a number of focused measures. These measures include: • installation of external connections for external emergency power generators near the reactor and other nuclear installations; • anchoring storage tanks so that these remain stable in the event of an earthquake or flood; • reducing the maximum permitted floor load in the Hot Cell Laboratories; and • developing new procedures for handling extreme events. As a consequence of the complementary safety margin assessment, measures are also being taken to improve existing margins. Additional research is also being conducted into any additional measures which could further extend safety margins.
The extensive analyses were conducted by multidisciplinary teams from NRG and reviewed by independent experts. The competent regulatory authority KFD and the KNMI assessed the delivered report and endorsed the finding that the reactor and other nuclear facilities can withstand the European Stress test scenarios. Tritium contamination An elevated tritium level in groundwater around the High Flux Reactor was announced in January 2012. The Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards Department was informed and given regular updates. Tritium is a radioactive variant of hydrogen that is present everywhere in nature. Drinking water may contain concentrations up to 7400 becquerel per litre. The measured values of tritium in groundwater on site vary per location and have no direct consequences for public health and the environment. Tritium has a half-life of approximately twelve years and gives extremely weak radiation which cannot penetrate the skin. Health risks only occur if people consume extremely large quantities. In order to place this risk in perspective: drinking one litre of water with 175,000 becquerel tritium has the same health risk as smoking a third of a cigarette. Since the establishment of the contamination in the year under review, routine measurements have been carried out at over fifty points around the reactor to determine the size of contaminated area. It was determined that the source of the tritium contamination had to be located in the support systems outside the reactor containment. All support systems were carefully investigated. A six metre long underground section of pipeline was excavated during these investigations. It then appeared that the support system for water transport during reactor stops had leaked tritiumcontaining water because of galvanic corrosion. This section of pipeline was immediately taken out of operation and an existing alternative circuit was used for water transport. To exclude any further leakage pathways, all potential smaller sources were investigated. The affected pipelines were replaced and put in a concrete watertight casing which acts as containment and allows visual inspection. At the same time, scenarios were elaborated to remove the tritium-contaminated groundwater at the Petten Research Location. It was decided to pump this up from the ground around the identified source and to remove the water via the wastewater treatment system. Under the current permits, tritium-containing water is pumped up at two points and removed via the water treatment system. Cooling water system anomaly At the end of 2012, an inspection revealed an anomaly in the HFR’s reactor cooling water system. It was established
Management Report
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that the bottom plug seal ring in the basin under the reactor allowed a small connection to be made between the primary reactor cooling water system and the basin cooling water system. This is clearly not a desirable situation and does not satisfy the permit conditions. An investigation was immediately launched to find the best technical approach to return to a licensed operating condition. Preparations for the proposed modifications to the cooling system were started in 2012, and consultations with the Dutch Nuclear Authorities took place regarding the available options. At the beginning of 2013, work was started on adapting the reactor. The primary system was expanded and a redundant lower sealing ring was fitted. The HFR was already out of operation due to the repair of the reactor support systems outside the containment area. The reactor will not be restarted until the primary cooling system modifications satisfy all permit conditions. Asset Management At the end of 2012, it was agreed that responsibility for safeguarding the integrity of the nuclear infrastructure should be taken to a higher level. In recent years, unplanned unavailability and complex modifications to the HFR have placed heavy demands on production. The safety, reliability and predictability of the infrastructure need to be increased. In December 2012, an assignment was drawn up for the Asset Integrity Assessment of Petten’s nuclear infrastructure. The organisation, technical documentation and the failure behaviour of systems were investigated for risks and consequences. As a result, the HFR and all other nuclear installations will need to meet the high demands of reliability and safety set by NRG and will be kept ‘fit for purpose’ until the end of the intended service life. The Asset Management improvement programme will be implemented in 2013. PALLAS developments On Friday 20 January 2012, the cabinet approved the PALLAS project, the reactor which will replace the HFR in the long term. The first phase for developing PALLAS will be financed, subject to conditions, by the State and the Province of North Holland. Both authorities will each provide 40 million Euros. The participation conditions include the establishment of an independent PALLAS organisation and a positive outcome of the check on European legislation for state aid. On 16 July 2012, the North Holland Provincial Council also agreed to finance 40 million Euros. At the beginning of 2012, a delay arose regarding the introduction of the PALLAS project.
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The arrival in May of P. van Laarschot MBA, who succeeded the departing project director Ir. P. de Jong, gave a new impulse to the PALLAS team. Besides managing the PALLAS construction project (tender and permits), the project director was also given the task of implementing the strategic steps towards the new PALLAS organisation. The PALLAS team took various steps in 2012 to prepare for the project. In the framework of project control, the project plan was also updated and the ISO 9001/14001 management systems were implemented. The Ministry of Economic Affairs appointed a PALLAS Organisation and Financing Advice Committee in 2012. The appointment of the Committee Preparer followed on 1 November in the person of R. de Jong RA. On behalf of the State and the Province, the Committee Preparer implemented three assignments over the space of five months: auditing the work performed so far on the PALLAS project, establishing a professional organisation as a separate entity and drawing up a plan for the private financing of PALLAS. The appointed advisory committee provides the Committee Preparer and the Minister of Economic Affairs with an independent sounding board. Furthermore, the Committee Preparer and the advisory committee have an important voice in the process towards establishing a new entity. The Committee Preparer’s activities were completed in the first quarter of 2013. The prospects seem positive: it is expected that the independent PALLAS organisation will be formed in 2013 and the tender for making the design will be started.
Financially robust NRG is a capital-intensive company which operates in a global market. In order to operate in this market it is important that a robust financial policy is developed. This policy should focus on achieving sufficient returns to safeguard the continuity of the company and facilitate the safe and reliable operation of the installations in the long term. This enables the company to offer the reliability that is expected, particularly from the medical and industrial isotopes market. Corporate governance Although NRG is a general partnership and not a company listed on the stock market, where possible the Corporate Governance Code will be applied with regard to corporate governance. NRG places responsibilities on individual managers who are accountable for this. In principle, the procedures at NRG make it impossible for key officials to use resources unobserved or improperly, or abuse their function or mandate within the organisation in any other way. The management team comprises the managing director, the business directors and managers of the Staff Groups, supplemented by the managers of large projects. The managing director is responsible for compliance with legislation and regulations, risk management and the financing of the company. The supervision of the daily business from the perspective of shareholders is incorporated within the managing partner Foundation ECN. The ECN Supervisory Board is somewhat more remote. It comprises unconnected experts and monitors the key themes. The members have fixed appointment terms and the council has a broad composition. The Board assesses the annual budget and accounts and proposes fixed and variable rewards. Of course the external accountant also audits the financial situation at NRG and approves the annual accounts. Finally there are the external government regulators who maintain control of permits. For NRG the Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards Department is the most important one because of the Nuclear Energy Act permit. 2012 Results For NRG 2012 was a disappointing year financially. Operating income was 74.2 million Euros. In 2011 this was 63.2 million Euros - because of changes in the presentation of the returns this is not directly comparable with the operating income for 2011.
Operating income
€ 74,234 in 2012
2008: 53,238
2009: 61,793
(x € 1,000)
2010: 57,670
2011: 63,206
In 2012, the classification of the income changed.
Company result
€ 258 in 2012
(x € 1,000)
2008: -432
2009: 1,417
2010: 67
2011: 2,167
In 2012, the classification of the income changed.
The company result for 2012 was 258,000 Euros. This is considerably lower than the company result for 2011 of 2.2 million Euros (1.9 million Euros according to the new presentation method).
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The actinides lab is equipped with glove boxes with different equipment for manufacturing and characterising advanced nuclear fuels.
Irradiation & Development The net result amounted to 25 thousand Euros which is considerably below budget. In 2011, the net result was 2.5 million Euros. The financial year 2012 was strongly influenced by the tritium contamination of the groundwater around the reactor and the anomaly in the HFR’s cooling water system. The HFR has not been in operation since mid November 2012, which has had considerable consequences for turnover and results. In addition, in 2012 an extensive investment programme was implemented in the framework of the nuclear installations’ security. For the PALLAS project, no external financing had been found in 2012; the costs of the PALLAS project fell entirely on NRG. As a result of the extremely disappointing results, solvability dropped from 11.7 percent to 9.5 percent. The liquidity position fell from 19.7 million Euros to 14.5 million Euros, mainly due to an extensive investment programme. 2013 Prospects 2012 was strongly influenced by technical issues in the research reactor. This is also expected to have a huge impact on the 2013 results and the company’s liquidity development. There are a number of risks that could affect the result development in 2013: • For safety and reliability, adequate asset management is an essential condition to ensure that the HFR can continue to operate until PALLAS becomes operational. • The verdict of the Supreme Court regarding the pension file. If ECN/NRG is found not to be in the right, both organisations will face expenditure that is not achievable in the medium term. • In 2012, extensive investments were made in security. Extensive investments may also be required in 2013 partly depending on demands from the regulator. • Buildings and installations are becoming dated. Unforeseen defects may occur to an increasing extent. • Recruiting and selecting senior consultants for the business units in 2013 is necessary to be able to achieve the intended growth.
The Irradiation & Development (I&D) Business Unit provides nuclear knowledge, data and semi-finished products for the medical and nuclear industry, including isotopes for application in healthcare and industry. The Business Unit manages the High Flux Reactor and other nuclear facilities. The reactor-related developments in 2012 are described in the previous chapters Safe and Reliable. Market and market segments The developments of the HFR have again demonstrated the vulnerability of the security of the medical isotopes supply. NRG has informed the Dutch government and the market that as company it cannot take responsibility for this. This global social problem can only be resolved with the help of all interested parties. That is why NRG has high expectations about the work of the OECD. The High Level Group on the Security of Supply of Medical Radio Isotopes from the OECD/NEA has been in discussions about reshaping the market with the entire supply chain - from producer to end user. The outcome should be that sales can no longer take place below cost price. One of the complications of the molybdenum chain is that health insurers in the Netherlands do not pay per isotope but per diagnosis/treatment combination. In other countries, this is often even more complicated. Consequently, a realistic view of the molybdenum end market price is lacking. Reforming this situation is extremely complex. A second complication is of a technical nature. On 16 July, an OECD meeting was held about switching from highenriched uranium (HEU) to low-enriched uranium (LEU) and the methods to stimulate this shift. From non-proliferation considerations, western countries are trying to switch to low-enriched uranium in their research reactors, a move which raises costs. A good example for conversion is the United States, where the government gives a bonus on molybdenum produced with low-enriched uranium. Ultimately all production costs must be incorporated in a realistic market price. The OECD/NEA progress is important, but is progressing slowly. The national differences between countries with reactors are significant, and the market for medical isotopes is hesitant. It is desirable that governments, such as the EU Observatory and national governments, facilitate the market transformation with a harmonised, supportive policy. A contract was signed in the middle of 2012 with the experimental fusion reactor ITER being built by the global community in Cadarache in the south of France. NRG will irradiate materials for the fusion reactor wall qualifications.
Management Report
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Products and services The outage of a considerable part of global production of medical isotopes means that the unplanned shutdown of the HFR is affecting the medical treatment and health of thousands of people. NRG advised its regular customers and mediated in opening alternative routes to secure the supply of molybdenum. Fellow producers showed themselves to be flexible, put their own maintenance programmes on hold and reserved extra reactor capacity. Ultimately the parties managed to prevent an isotope shortage. Less radical but certainly disturbing was the effect of the shutdown on commercial nuclear research. I&D started consultations with its customers where necessary about the consequences for the research programmes. Because these programmes often have a long run-time, the consequences are limited. In line with the questions from nuclear researchers and nuclear power plants for a better understanding of material degradation in water-cooled nuclear reactors, NRG embarked on research into the infrastructure in the HCL and the HFR that can contribute to this. In addition, research was carried out on the extent to which implementing the infrastructure in the HFR for qualifying and testing nuclear fuels is achievable and desirable. On the one hand, this is related to Fukishima accident-motivated research into ‘accident tolerant fuels’. On the other hand, there are market opportunities here due to the decline of available research infrastructure worldwide. The significant interest for nuclear datasets that NRG has been successfully marketing for several years remains undiminished. The market perspective has been mapped in order to transform this interest into commercial success. In the coming years, this will provide control on the continued development of this and will form the basis for further commercial exploitation of this unique knowledge base. In the fourth quarter, NRG won the tender for the Graphite Creep Programme from EdF/British Energy. NRG is researching the behaviour of pressurised graphite used in British nuclear reactors. This project complements the existing graphite programme and fits with the strategic extension of commercial nuclear research. Innovation A milestone in 2012 was the collaboration with the Israeli company Check-Cap. NRG contributed its nuclear knowledge in the development of a small ‘X-ray pill’. This can best be described as minuscule radar equipment which makes 3-D images from inside the large intestine. The capsule provides data from the intestine through equipment
20 Annual Report 2012
worn on the wrist, while the patient just continues with daily life. The stored information is later analysed by a doctor. Therapeutic colonoscopy is only required if anything is found on the 3D images (polyps). NRG contributed knowledge regarding the manufacture and handling of this small radioactive source. This development is a result of NRG’s desire to move further within the supply chain: from the production of semi-manufactured products to the design of the end product. Organisation In 2012 I&D had its first experiences with the marketfocused process organisation introduced in 2011. Customers no longer needed to search for the appropriate services and support. One business team maintains all customer contacts and manages the entire process from ‘lead to contract’. The product team looks after the process from ‘contract to product’. The commercial experiences gained have been good. In 2013, the focus will be on improving the support process and aligning the operation of the reactor and other infrastructure to commercial demand. The growth objective for 2012 has not been achieved. The results for services and products were strongly under pressure because of the non-availability of the HFR. Several large investments were also required because of prescribed security measures. In 2012, the Business Unit started preparing the market for the necessary higher prices.
NRG is conducting an active policy to prevent and reduce in number any high-risk situations within the company.
Radiation & Environment The business unit Radiation & Environment (R&E) helps customers handle radiation safely and responsibly. The transformation towards a market-focused service provider already embarked on was successfully continued in 2012. Market and market segments Radiation & Environment operates in three dynamic market segments in which both customers as well as legislation are liable to change: Nuclear, Healthcare and Process Industry. R&E saw an increasing need for integrated radiation protection of man and environment in all market segments in 2012. More and more company processes in these sectors are experiencing wanted and unwanted effects from ionising radiation. At the same time, the legislator is imposing more stringent requirements on minimising the risks. In short: there is an increased need for a wide range of measurements, analyses and the associated registration. NRG’s broad knowledge appeared to provide a solid basis to serve this need with innovative products and services. Products and services NRG retained its position in 2012 as Dutch market leader for products and services for the safe and responsible handling of ionising radiation and radioactive materials. All available knowledge and expertise has been used to allow the customer to satisfy legislation and regulations. This guaranteed the customers’ continuity and safe operations. NRG services in the areas of integrated radiation protection ranged from conducting risk analyses and handling permit applications, giving training, measuring dose load for people and the environment to on-site measurements, analyses and dismantling installations contaminated with radioactivity. Our dosimetry service again served thousands of customers which probably made this the best known part of Radiation & Environment. The services regarding cyclotrons in hospitals appeared to be a growth market in 2012. With an increased use of cyclotrons in the medical sector, the service is tailored specifically to the safety of employees during installation, use and dismantling of these installations. In 2012, NRG offered successful solutions in the area of waste management. Fast and accurate characterisation of radioactive waste means that this can be more easily separated, thus reducing the quantity and also the costs of waste processing and storage. New in 2012 was the integrated approach to dismantling projects of radioactive contaminated installations. This approach combined knowledge of radiation protection with suitable removal routes for the residues.
22 Annual Report 2012
Innovation In the year under review, R&E took steps to monitor the compulsory dose registration of nuclear workers in the Netherlands in an innovative way. Safe working and awareness are helped by direct feedback about the sustained dose to the workers. At NRG, a pilot is running with a new generation of digital dose metres, a combination of direct feedback and careful official annual registration. In 2012, R&E embarked on research into fast measurement methods for NORM material. This research contributes to a system that satisfies the needs of process industry customers for fast access to information with minimum disruption to production. This research was conducted jointly with the government of one of the leading countries in oil and gas production. Together with two market parties, administrative software has been developed which enables customers to register, administer and monitor the data required by the Nuclear Energy Act in an integrated way. R&E wants to make these statutory obligations as easy as possible for the customer; radioactivity and radiation obviously tend to be ‘difficult’ by-products for the customer. Market introduction for this administrative innovation is planned for 2013. Finally, NRG played an important role in the OPERA project for final storage of radioactive waste in the Netherlands. Ultimately, this retrievable geological storage facility must be the final destination for all high radioactive waste in our country. NRG is conducting research that will be used in the construction of this facility and which will safeguard the safety and sustainability of the final storage in the long term. Organisation In the new commercial organisation, more emphasis is being placed on strategic growth. In 2012, a lot of focus has been on improving operational sales, starting from account management. To achieve maximum synergy, R&E has assembled employees from all sectors in market-oriented operational teams. Customers value this coordinated approach which is translated into exceptionally good results.
At NRG a pilot is running with a new generation of digital dose metres, a combination of direct feedback and a careful official annual registration.
Employees from NRG conduct various specialised inspections at home and abroad.
SAFETY & POWER The Safety & Power (S&P) business unit acts as a consultant for the international nuclear industry. The business unit delivers top knowledge regarding processes, risks, reliability and safety of nuclear installations. Market and market segments Following the accident in Fukushima in 2011, the market for nuclear energy has changed radically in a number of countries compared to a few years ago. Some countries are reviewing the role of nuclear energy. Germany is going furthest by shutting down all its nuclear power plants in the long term. On the other hand, emerging economies are focusing on nuclear energy, which applies to most regions in Asia. In Europe, the position of nuclear energy in Northern and Central European nuclear countries is undisputed and, with new-build programmes in these countries, there is growth. The fall in demand because of the German nuclear Ausstieg will be partly compensated by increased demand for decommissioning once the sector agrees on a compensation arrangement with the German government. German industry will largely prepare and carry out the decommissioning themselves. Nuclear plant owners can cover their nuclear personnel overcapacity with this. However, there are also opportunities for companies that have unique technology, such as NRG. In 2012, this already resulted in a project to machine damaged nuclear fuel elements in the plant in Krümmel, Germany. Large nuclear service providers and energy companies which previously targeted growth are now preparing to make their organisations flexible. S&P is profiting from this by searching for niche markets and specialising in specific services. The contract agreed by NRG with EdF (France) should also be seen in this light. Following competition, S&P was awarded the contract to develop Computational Fluid Dynamics methods to predict the course of (hypothetical) deboration accidents in pressurised water reactors. In 2012, NRG successfully sought cooperation with strategic partners in the United States, the United Kingdom, Austria, Belgium and Scandinavia. They also searched for suitable acquisition candidates. Discussions took place with eight parties. NRG was given the opportunity to present itself across the board in the Swedish nuclear industry, through firm contacts with a Swedish partner. This led to a project in the area of ageing management and operating life extension in the Swedish Ringhals nuclear power plant. In Finland, a proposal was made for consultancy work for the nuclear power company Fennovomia. A strategic alliance was agreed with AREVA, in which NRG provides flexible
capacity for the detail engineering phase of the ATMEA1 reactor, the new AREVA and Mitsubishi pressurised water reactor. Products and services The inspection group carried out successful in-service inspections in German and Swiss plants including Brokdorf, Isar and Gösgen. The strength of this group lies in its farreaching specialisation in remotely controlled ultrasonic inspections. The group expanded its activities with EDM electrical discharge repair services for nuclear power plants using its remote handling core technology. The services for Long-Term Operation (LTO) also did well. Partly because of its successful support for EPZ (Borssele nuclear power plant), NRG was awarded the contract, mentioned earlier, to assist the Swedish nuclear power plant, Ringhals, in its permit request for extended operation. In the United States, the business unit continued its success with fuel management services. The fast and optimum design of core reload designs and the optimised in-core shuffling of reactor cores provide better returns on the nuclear fuels used and reduction of the outage time respectively. Concerning success outside the US with the fuel programmes ROSA and SOSA, a five-year contract agreed with ESKOM in South Africa is worth mentioning. There were also challenges in 2012. The new export legislation for strategic services (Wsd), which came into force in January, produced big delays in contract implementation. As delivering technical assistance is now considered as supplying dual use goods (such as nuclear materials), a permit is compulsory for civil use. As NRG is increasingly operating as an export company for this, NRG is being confronted more and more with the Wsd and becoming increasingly financially dependent on a predictable export licensing process. In NRG’s opinion, obtaining export permits is an open process and takes too long and it hopes that this will improve in 2013. Innovation NRG sees possibilities to increase the existing market for fuel management software with several focused innovations. An extended (full-core) version of the fuel optimisation programme, ROSA, was successfully introduced to the market. A version of this programme suitable for Boiling Water Reactors is currently being developed. The business unit also sees possibilities to transfer asset management services to new markets. Vital infrastructure with high safety and availability demands, such as dams, need to be managed over a long period of time. Technologies from the nuclear sector are ideal for this; NRG has now gained experience in working for the Dutch government.
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NRG retained its position in 2012 as Dutch market leader for products and services for the safe and responsible handling of ionising radiation and radioactive materials.
Research programme Organisation 2012 was a good year for S&P with a fully deployed workforce and an above-budget financial performance. In fact, performance was good for all services areas, partly because of the wide and flexible network of cooperative partners. The business unit has been stable and successful for several years working in results-oriented, semi-autonomous product market teams, an organisational form that fits well with the unit’s consultancy services. In 2012 a new team was formed to increase the focus on marketing fuel management services.
Besides commercial activities, NRG is also implementing a research programme funded by public money. This gives concrete implementation to Dutch government policy priorities. The Dutch national government’s objectives are safeguarding and continued improvement of nuclear safety, radiation protection, finding solutions for radioactive waste and contributing to a low CO2 energy supply. With this programme, we are also participating in research programmes funded partly by the European Union. The research programme is also used for knowledge development and public information. Post-Fukushima One of the highlights from the year under review was the so-called ‘post-Fukushima’ research. In this, experiences relating to the accident in 2011 have been translated to research themes for the coming years. The results should contribute to increased nuclear safety in existing and future power plants. A concrete example is preventing hydrogen explosions in accident circumstances and predicting the consequences of hydrogen combustion for the reactor building. It is a specialism in which NRG had already built a reputation prior to the Fukushima accident. NRG has developed a calculation model to predict the behaviour of hydrogen in the reactor enclosure. In 2012, NRG improved this calculation model and expanded the model to examine the consequences of hydrogen combustion for the reactor building. Waste Another interesting example from 2012 is our participation in European research into reducing the amount and life of radioactive waste. Transmutation can serve as an alternative for geological final storage. With the HFR and the adjacent nuclear infrastructure, NRG was already one of the main suppliers of radiation and post-radiation research in this area within Europe. NRG is participating in various European projects including fast reactor systems that are suitable for ‘burning up’ actinides such as plutonium (Pu) and americium (Am). The GoFastR (gas-cooled fast reactor) and ESFR (sodium-cooled fast reactor) projects were closed in 2012. Nuclear fuels Current projects are focusing on the development, manufacture and testing of innovative nuclear fuels which contain minor actinides from spent fuel rods. Radiation experiments focus on such things as determining the optimum temperature during irradiation of these innovative nuclear fuels. The effects of radiation on the properties of these nuclear fuels are also determined. Post-radiation research has shown that, as expected, the Pu-retaining pellets supply a higher capacity, but that this leads to
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Human Resources considerably more material damage. Whether this has consequences for the achievability of this route is currently being investigated. A complete overview of all on going or completed international projects and research programmes in 2012 is included in the ‘Annual Report 2012 from the NRG EL&IS Research Programme’.
In 2012, the HR policy was linked to the NRG company strategy and focused on the transformation from ‘Institute to Company’, on growth and on inspiring employees. Personnel planning was also given a more strategic character as a result. Core values The core values Safe and reliable, Financially robust, Market and customer-oriented, Professional and expert, Open and transparent are translated into daily practice. Employees and new employees have learned in workshops how they can implement these abstract terms in their daily work. Progress has been made with regard to company safety, one of the core values. In 2012, the Risk Inventory & Evaluation (RI&E) was introduced as a standard working method for operational activities.
The external assessment committee (EBC) assesses NRG’s publicly-funded research programme. The funding comes from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, and is intended to safeguard policy priorites (public interests) in the field of nuclear innovation. The EBC meets twice a year. At its autumn meeting NRG presents its programme proposal for the coming calendar year; the results of the previous year’s programme are presented and discussed at the spring meeting. The EBC produces an advisory report for the Ministry, based on its findings, setting out recommendations for the general direction and design of the research programme, its implementation and the reporting of the results. In 2012 the membership of the EBC was as follows: Ir. G.R. Küpers, Kandt Management (chair) Prof. dr. ir. T.H.J.J. van der Hagen, TU Delft Ir. P.J. Buijs*, DELTA Technologie & Innovatie Dr. P.J.W.M. Müskens**, Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment Dr. H.D.K. Codée, COVRA Mw. mr. A. van Limborgh, Ministry of Economic Affairs Dr. A.A. Raghoebarsing***, Ministry of Economic Affairs Drs. H. Rakhorst, URENCO Nederland bv Dr. ir. M.W.J. Crajé, EPZ Ir. A. Versteegh, chair of Stichting KINT for nondestructive testing and inspection * Succeeded by Ir. A.S. Louter (1 May 2012) ** Till 1 May 2012 *** Succeeded by Ir. drs. H.M. Verhagen (1 September 2012)
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In the framework of personnel planning, we have looked to the future and asked strategic questions such as, what will we need in five years and what are the desired competences of employees now and in the future. Globally it seems that a shift is occurring from recruiting technical talent to searching for, developing and retaining technicalcommercial talent. This also flows from the core value, Market and Customer-orientation. Cooperation The goal-oriented combined efforts of the NRG line organisation, the Works Council and the management were crucial to the strategic HR policy in 2012. They support each other in achieving the company’s transformation and thus encourage parties to work with us and feel involved. The first steps have already been taken. The Works Council is now not only advising on management plans, it is also contributing from its specific role on the rollout of the strategy. A safety and health policy was formulated in 2012. This contains many improvements following cooperation between prevention officers and the Works Council. Special attention was given to employees in specific functions in this framework, such as the fire services and non-stop service. CLA A third project in which integrated cooperation was shown to work well is the modernisation of the CLA. This also took place in co-creation: the unions, the Works Council as well as managers and employees worked together on this. The CLA will soon better reflect the wishes of employees (life phase, flexibility of working times and workplace) and the demands of a modern company. The CLA must contribute more towards the personal development of employees, making it easier to connect sought-after employees on the
employment market to NRG. Both the company as well as employees increasingly realise that a job is no longer for life. Formal negotiations for finalising the new CLA are currently taking place. Pension conflict No new developments took place in 2012 relating to the pension conflict, which has now been continuing for several years. Following an adverse judgement from the court of appeal for ECN/NRG regarding indexing of pensions, ECN/ NRG appealed in cassation to the Supreme Court. The parties are now awaiting the judgement in this cassation. If the previous judgement from the court of appeal is not rescinded, this will result in expenditure for both organisations that is not achievable in the medium term.
FTE
440.07
in 2012 (per 31 December 2012)
2008: 329.32
2009: 345.11
2010: 364.18
2011: 425.57
Number of Employees
486
in 2012 (per 31 December 2012)
2008: 363
2009: 381
2010: 401
2011: 465
Sickness absence figures
3.02% in 2012
2008: 3.80%
2009: 2.84%
2010: 2,87%
2011: 3.76%
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Annual Accounts Balance sheet In Euro’s x 1,000, as at 31 December
Assets Fixed assets Intangible fixed assets Tangible fixed assets Current assets Work in progress Stock of fuel for HFR Accounts receivable and accrued assets Receivables from group companies Taxes and social security contributions Other Receivables and prepayments Liquid assets
Liabilities Partnership capital Provisions Current liabilities
Profit and loss account Net operating revenue Funding State of the Netherlands Contracts and other funding Increase/decrease in work in progress Increase/decrease in stocks Other corperate earnings
Overheads Costs of consumables and raw materials Salary costs Social security costs Depreciation Other operating costs
Operating result Financial result Result before taxes Taxes Net result
In 2012, the classification of the income changed.
30 Annual Report 2012
2012
2011
1,393 14,656 16,049
1,080 9,379 10,459
8,745 10,711 6,086 1,728 932 180 14,487 42,869 58,918
5.985 10,257 8,687 2,458 0 210 19,661 47,258 57,717
5,641 18,543 34,734 58,918
6,757 17,747 33,213 57,717
2012
2011
9,390 60,261 4,325 -/- 454 712 74,234
9,345 61,770 -/- 4,022 -/- 4,525 638 63,206
5,664 25,227 6,498 1,264 35,323 73,976
883 23,669 6,115 1,230 29,142 61,039
258 -/- 281 -/- 23 48 25
2,167 315 2,482 2,482
Organisation chart managing director NRG
staff group Finance & Control
staff group Quality, Safety & Environment
staff group Human Recources
staff group Communications
Radioactive Waste Management Program
business unit Irradiation & Development
business unit Safety & Power
business unit Radiation & Environment
Management team as at 1 May 2013 N.C. Unger drs. ing. J.W. van der Haar dr. R.P.C. Schram dr. V.A. Wichers drs. P.C.J.M. van Balen drs. E. Brinkman W.P. Kromhout RA, CPA drs. R.R. Kool P.G.M. van Saaze
managing director business director Radiation & Environment business director Irradiation & Development business director Safety & Power manager Quality, Safety & Environment manager Human Resources interim manager Finance & Control interim manager Communications program manager RWMP
Works Council as at 31 December 2012 V.M. Smit-Groen R.J.J.N. Janssen ing. B.R.W. Haverkate A. Makhaising dr. ir. J.C. Kuijper W.G. de Groot H.R. Chevalking A.J.P.M.C. Delpeut RSE
chair deputy chair secretary and deputy chair, Petten deputy secretary
31
NRG Petten Westerduinweg 3 P.O. Box 25, 1755 ZG Petten The Netherlands Phone +31 224 564950 Fax +31 224 568912
NRG Arnhem Utrechtseweg 310 – R42 P.O. Box 9034, 6800 ES Arnhem The Netherlands Phone +31 26 3568524 Fax +31 26 3518536
info@nrg.eu www.nrg.eu
Text contributions: Art de Vos, Krimpen a/d IJssel Photography: Hein van den Heuvel, Amsterdam Design: PWAD, Amsterdam Printing: MarcelisDékavé, Alkmaar