The nuclear reactor at Petten, which is used to produce one-third of the world’s medical isotopes for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as cancer, is to remain closed until mid-February.

The facility was due to re-open at the end of November after being closed down in August for safety reasons, reports press agency AFP.
Leontien Zuurbier, spokeswoman for Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG) which owns the reactor, told AFP that repair work is ‘more complex’ than initially expected.
Activity at the reactor in Petten was suspended following the discovery of air bubbles in the cooling system in August.
Petten is one of just four other nuclear reactors that produce isotopes for the pharmaceutical sector. The others are in France, Belgium, Canada and South Africa.