ILL operations are governed by protocols signed by the Associate Countries. The 6th ILL Protocol – extending the original 1967 Intergovernmental Convention for a further 10-year period, from 2024 to 2033, and representing a global investment of about €1bn – was signed by the governments of the Associate Countries in 2021. However, operation beyond the end of 2030 was subject to later approval, which has now been granted by the three governments. Having this decision now is crucial, as preparation processes are lengthy and complex. The confirmation of commitment from the Associate Countries means that the ILL can immediately start the process of securing the fuel needed for reactor operations from 2031.
“We have been working very hard to secure a unanimous commitment from all three Associate countries and are delighted with the decision," says ILL Director, Ken Andersen, “The ILL is now in a position to plan scientific operation until the end of 2033."
The ILL was founded in Grenoble in 1967 by France and Germany, who were joined a few years later by the UK. Today, a further ten Scientific Member countries help fund the ILL for the benefit of their research communities: Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The three Associate countries contribute roughly 75% of the ILL's budget, with the Scientific Member countries providing most of the remaining amount.
The ILL operates a 58-MW, high-flux research reactor, providing the most intense neutron beams in the world to a suite of state-of-the-art neutron scattering instruments complementary to those offered by the ISIS pulsed source. These facilities enable a large and diverse scientific community of visiting academic and industrial researchers to make new scientific and technological advances. Their impact ranges from scientific discovery and excellence to addressing societal challenges in the fields of health, energy, the environment and quantum materials.
Professor Grahame Blair, STFC's Executive Director of Programmes said of the news: “This is a fabulous outcome for the UKRI science community. We are very happy to continue working with our fellow ILL Associates and international Scientific Members to keep the ILL delivering the very best science, collaborating with and complementing our national facilities."
