“As a multi-purpose 10-megawatt reactor, HIFAR pioneered Australia’s nuclear medicine production and silicon irradiation capabilities, and housed the first neutron beam research instruments – all of which paved the way for the sovereign capabilities we have here at ANSTO today,” Jenkinson noted.
The decommissioning project has been divided into different phases –
Phase A – already commenced, focusing on removing neutron beam instruments, the control room, the fuel assembly station, and other peripheral equipment. The HIFAR circuits and no.1 storage block will be removed in the later stages of Phase A. Stage 1 of Phase A is expected to be completed by 2026.
Phase B – involves the decommissioning of the reactor core, depending on further licensing approvals from ARPANSA and a designated national waste disposal pathway before proceeding.