SCK CEN required a scalable, automated engineering workflow to manage a large number of PLC control programs for the MYRRHA accelerator-driven system, which couples a reactor core to a particle accelerator to demonstrate nuclear waste transmutation. The team needed continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) capabilities for PLC development comparable to what was already in use for their C++ software domain. A unified engineering approach was essential to bridge the gap between PLC programmers and C++ developers working together in cross-functional teams.

SIMATIC AX was adopted as the core PLC development platform, enabling object-oriented programming, text-based source code management via Git repositories, and npm-style package management for reusable building blocks. The team implemented CI/CD pipelines to automate testing, code review, and deployment for cryogenic and vacuum control systems.

The Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN) is located in Mol, Belgium, close to Antwerp. It is a leading European nuclear research institution hosting the MYRRHA project, a pre-industrial scale accelerator-driven system designed to demonstrate transmutation of nuclear waste and contribute to the long-term sustainability of nuclear power generation.