English 
Polish 
The President of the National Atomic Energy Agency (PAA), as the regulatory body, approved the Periodic Safety Review report of the MARIA research reactor.
The Periodic Safety Review (PSR) is comprehensive safety review of all important safety aspects, carried out at regular intervals. The first PSR of MARIA Research Reactor took place in 2018-2019 and indicated that the reactor meets safety standards. The PSR report recommends the further operation of Poland’s sole nuclear reactor and justifies efforts to extend its operation.
The objective of PSR is a verification of the reactor safety through a detailed analysis of safety factors relevant to its operation, including:
- systems, structures, and components will ensure the safe operation of the facility in the following years,
- reactor conforms to the law and good international practices,
- safety documentation is up-to-date and adequate for the conducted activity.
According to the amendment to the regulations from 2011, nuclear facilities are obliged to perform PRS at least every ten years. PSR focuses on changes in the facility since the previous review or the start of the operation. The first MARIA PSR had to assess the impact of modernizations and changes made since the criticality in 1974 on nuclear and radiological safety. That is why the recent assessment covers 45 years of operation of the reactor, showing its failure-free operation from the beginning.
The PAA President’s approval of the report proves that the MARIA reactor is operated in a safe manner and in accordance with the law, which paves the way for its further operation. The MARIA reactor is used not only to conduct material and technological research but also to irradiate target materials for the production of radioisotopes. Furthermore, the reactor provides capabilities for the research of new medical procedures, including boron-neutron therapy or brachytherapy.
