Hifar shut down for the last time

30 January 2007

Australia's first research reactor, Hifar, has been finally shut downafter 49 years of making isotopes for research, medical and industrialuse.

The final shutdown sequence was initiated by Australia's minister for Education, Science and Training, Julie Bishop. She said: "The shutdown sees the end of an era in Australian nuclear science, yet also heralds the beginning of a new one."

She was referring to the operation of Opal, the new research reactor in operation at the Austrlian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation's (Ansto's) site at Lucas Heights, near Sydney.

Opal, which boasts a power rating of 20 MWt compared to Hifar's 10 MWt, and three times the neutron flux, will take over Hifar's workload and extend the areas of nuclear science possible in Australia.

Hifar went critical on 26 January (Australia Day) in 1958 and was officially opened in April of that year by then prime minister Robert Menzies.  It was used to make radiopharmaceuticals and test materials for a possible future nuclear power programme which was subsequently ruled out by prime minister Bill McMahon. After that, Hifar was adapted to conduct neutron-beam research into industrial materials and irradiate silicon for the semiconductor industry.

Over the years, Hifar's neutron scattering capabilities have been referred to in 740 refereed scientific publications and over 200 theses.

Ansto said that dismantling the reactor and its anciliary buildings would take up to ten years.

Further information

Ansto

WNN: Opal shines

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