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What were the stages of development for Australia's new research reactor,
OPAL?

The Commonwealth Government announced on 3 September 1997 that it had agreed to the construction of a replacement nuclear research reactor to be located at the Lucas Heights Science and Technology Centre at a cost of $286 million, subject to the outcome of environmental assessment.  The proposal was then subject to an environmental assessment process and consideration by the Parliamentary Public Works Committee.

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) issued a licence to site the reactor at Lucas heights on 22 September 1999, following a comprehensive tender process.  ANSTO signed a contract with the Argentinean company INVAP S.E. and its Australian alliance partners; John Holland Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd and Evans Deakin Industries Limited, for the design, construction and commissioning of the replacement reactor on 13 July 2000.

ARPANSA issued a licence to construct the reactor on 5 April 2002.  ANSTO applied for a licence to operate the reactor in 2004.  Cold commissioning (i.e. testing of systems with no fuel loaded) of OPAL commenced in February 2006.

ARPANSA issued a licence to operate the reactor on 14 July, 2006.  Hot commissioning (with fuel loaded), which entailed further testing to ensure the reactor's performance met expectations, then commenced.  HIFAR was shutdown in early 2007.  OPAL hot commissioning was completed in May 2007. 

The licence was granted following an exhaustive examination of all the evidence presented by ANSTO, including results of cold commissioning tests.  ARPANSA were also advised by overseas consultants, including an International Atomic Energy Agency review team - all experts in the field of nuclear reactor engineering.

OPAL was officially launched over several events held in April 2007.