RESEARCH REACTOR: OSIRIS

Located at the CEA Saclay Centre, Osiris was a pool-type research reactor with an open core in which water was used as the moderator, coolant and biological shielding. It had a rated power of 70 MWth. OSIRIS was authorised by decree dated 8 June 1965 and went critical for the first time in 1966, before reaching maximum power in 1968. The reactor averaged 200 operating days per year, with a cycle length between 3 to 5 weeks.

The CEA Committee decided to shut down the reactor on 9 December 2013. This decision was confirmed in July 2014, and OSIRIS officially started its decommissioning phase on 16 December 2015.

A PRECURSOR TO THE JHR Material Test Reactor, OSIRIS WAS DESIGNED TO:

• Perform irradiation experiments on materials and nuclear fuel for the nuclear industry and research

• Produce radioéléments for medical and industrial use.