Resourcing Strategies for the NRU Reactor Shutdown Planning and Execution - 19218

The National Research Universal Reactor (NRU) was commissioned in 1957. The NRU was fundamental for the development of the Candu reactors and, until 2016, quietly responsible for producing 40 percent of the world's supply of medical isotopes for diagnosis and cancer therapy. The Government of Canada decided in 2015 to discontinue operation as of March 31, 2018 due to challenges associated with running a 60-year old nuclear reactor. Anticipating this closing date allowed the Permanent Safe Shutdown Project (PSSP) to transition the NRU from an operating reactor to a state suitable for Storage with Surveillance. One of the biggest challenges to address was human resource management, which was rightly identified as the key to keeping the project within schedule and budget. The dilemma was, how to keep the work force motivated to contribute with the preparation of the shutdown while addressing job security concerns. This paper summarises Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) challenges and strategies to secure specialized subject matter experts, trades and operators for planning and executing the NRU reactor shutdown Project. The discussion also includes the solutions and lessons learned to date. (author)