ANSTO starts decommissioning Australia’s first nuclear research reactor

The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) has started decommissioning the country’s first nuclear research reactor. Built at Lucas Heights, Sydney, the High Flux Australian Reactor (HIFAR) was opened by Australian Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies in 1958. The reactor operated until 2007, when it was replaced by ANSTO’s new multi-purpose research reactor OPAL. In late 2024, ANSTO was granted the licence to start the decommissioning process of the HIFAR facility.  It is the second time that the organisation has been tasked to decommission a research reactor. In 2012, it safely decommissioned and dismantled the Moata reactor, which was operative from the early 1970s to the mid-1990s.
The first stage of the HIFAR decommissioning process should be completed by 2026. ANSTO Chief Executive Officer Shaun Jenkinson recognised the historical importance of the reactor for the development of nuclear energy in Australia and underlined its contributions to scientific and medical achievements. He said the structure will be decommissioned according to the best international practices. The process has already begun with initial works to remove the neutron beam instruments, control room, fuel assembly station, and other peripheral equipment. In future stages, the HIFAR circuits will be removed along with the contents of the No. 1 Storage Block. After completing Phase A in 2026, ANSTO will decommission the reactor core in Phase B. Senior Project Manager Brett Wheeler said the decommissioning project has involved 10 years of planning and preparations. At present, only the internal infrastructure and radioactive materials will be removed. The white exterior shell of the reactor will not be touched until the completion of this operation. According to Wheeler, the decommissioning process will take advantage of the knowledge and experience of the HIFAR team, many of whom are now approaching retirement.