Australia · Lucas Heights · -34.051, 150.979

OPAL

OPAL, a research reactor (pool) in Lucas Heights, Australia, with 20 MW of thermal power, operated by ANSTO (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation). Operating, first critical in 2006.

It is the only research reactor operating in Australia today; the country has shut down 3 others. It went critical 48 years after the first research reactor in Australia, HIFAR (1958). It is one of 48 pool-type reactors operating worldwide, spread across 28 countries. It is one of 9 research reactors in 7 countries that INVAP designed or built.

Country

Australia

City

Lucas Heights

Type

Pool

Thermal power

20 MW

Operator

ANSTO (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation)

Design and construction

Designed and built by INVAP

Status

Operating

First criticality

2006

Purpose

Mo-99 and radioisotope production for nuclear medicine, neutron beam science (Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering), silicon irradiation (neutron transmutation doping), neutron radiography, activation analysis, geochronology, training

See also: every research reactor in Australia · How research reactors work · every reactor by INVAP