Israel to close Soreq civilian nuclear reactor

The Israel Atomic Energy Commission said on Tuesday that its Soreq nuclear reactor would be closed down in five years’ time. The small reactor, built in the 1950s near Yavneh, functions mostly as a research facility. A new particle accelerator is set to take over research functions.

Also revealed was a secret operation that took place in 2009 that saw Israel shipping 102 spent uranium rods from Soreq to the US for disposal. The fuel had originally been supplied by the US during the construction of the site.

Walla News reported that because Israel has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, it has been unable to acquire the highly enriched uranium needed to keep the reactor running. The reactor itself has the capability to stay in operation for another 30 years.

The reactor is in operation for only one or two days a week and is deactivated during periods of rocket fire from nearby Gaza. Soreq chief scientist Dr. Yair Yariv stressed that extensive security measures are in place to prevent contamination in the case of a rocket attack or earthquake.

The Soreq reactor is a low-powered reactor used for a myriad of research purposes, including for testing food products that come from areas affected by radiation and for medical research. The new particle accelerator, to be built next door, will fulfill the same functions, experts say.

Unlike Israel’s other nuclear reactor at Dimona, Soreq was inspected twice a year by the International Atomic Energey Agency.