France · Saint-Paul-lès-Durance · 43.684, 5.763

Minerve

Minerve, a research reactor (pool) in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance, France, with 100 W of thermal power, operated by CEN de Cadarache. Shut down, first critical in 1959.

It was one of the 38 research reactors France has had; 2 remain in operation today. It went critical 11 years after the first research reactor in France, ZOE (EL-1) (1948). 48 pool-type reactors remain in operation today across 28 countries. Its declared uses include teaching, training, activation analysis and materials testing.

Country

France

City

Saint-Paul-lès-Durance

Type

Pool

Thermal power

100 W

Operator

CEN de Cadarache

Status

Shut down

First criticality

1959

Purpose

Teaching, training, activation analysis, materials testing

See also: every research reactor in France · How research reactors work