Page 7 - ILLS Annual Report 2018

DIRECTOR’S FOREWORD
THROUGHOUT 2018, the ILL Associates devoted themselves to the task of securing
a bright future for the Institute, in particular through their formal engagement to seek an extension of the ILL’s Intergovernmental Convention for the period 2024 to 2033. In parallel, negotiations with the ILL’s Scientific Members saw significant progress towards renewing the membership agreements for the next five years. All this, combined with the Associates’ firm commitment to our latest upgrade programme, Endurance, is excellent news for ILL users, who can continue to count on the Institute’s outstanding service for many years to come.
The continued trust shown by our Associates and Scientific Members is a clear sign of their recognition of the quality of the scientific work performed at the ILL. A convincing display of the ILL’s scientific excellence was apparent at the hugely successful user meeting co-organised with the ESS in October, and throughout the pages of this report you will find details of a host of outstanding results confirming the ILL’s position as the flagship centre for neutron science.
While 2017 was dominated by efforts to maintain and upgrade our neutron source, 2018 saw the successful delivery of three reactor cycles, allowing our users to perform over 800 experiments. The results of previous experiments also found their way into an impressive number of high-quality publications in 2018.
Given the importance of safe and reliable reactor operation for the scientific programme, the ILL never ceases to invest heavily in its infrastructure. This year saw the official close of the post-Fukushima reinforcement programme, which has allowed us to strengthen still further the ILL’s defences in the
event of extreme situations, thus paving the way for safe reactor operation throughout and beyond the next decade. In parallel, we were also able to successfully conclude negotiations on the manufacture of fuel elements and have secured the supply of this key component for many years to come.
Of course, even the best neutron source in the world is only as good as
the instruments it feeds, which is why the ILL instrument suite is constantly being upgraded. With the commissioning of the new, wide-angle spin-echo spectrometer WASP in 2018, the Millennium upgrade programme has
been brought to a successful conclusion. Representing a total investment of close to 100 M€, Millennium has contributed enormously to maintaining the world-leading performance levels of ILL instruments. Its successor programme, Endurance, is now in full swing. Its first phase is due to be completed by 2020, while the roll-out of the second phase has already begun.
We all know that modern societies are placing ever-increasing emphasis on the strict regulation of industrial processes in order to minimise the inherent risks these processes present to society and the environment. As
a responsible nuclear operator, the ILL is determined to respond to these regulatory developments by pursuing an ambitious compliance programme. This programme encompasses all aspects of safety and security, including physical protection. Every possible measure is being taken to achieve maximum levels of compliance while at the same time preserving the quality of service our users deserve.
I hope that, with these few lines, I have been able to convince you not only that the ILL can be proud of its distinguished past but that it is facing an equally bright future. The ILL’s success has been and always will be a joint achievement. I therefore wish to express my gratitude to all those who have helped, either ‘on stage’ or behind the scenes, to prepare this future, whether as members of the ILL’s highly motivated staff or its governing bodies, as valued collaborators or as ILL users. I am convinced that your efforts will be rewarded by many more exciting scientific discoveries on a par with those that you can read about in this year’s annual report.
Helmut Schober
ILL Director
FOREWORD
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