Chalk River
Chalk River, ON
Reactor Data
Research Reactors
Research and test reactors, critical assemblies and prototypes at this site, as listed in the IAEA Research Reactor Database: type, thermal power, first criticality, shutdown date, current status and what each is used for.
7 reactors: 1 operational, 2 decommissioned, 4 permanent shutdown.
| Reactor | Type | Thermal Power | First Criticality | Shutdown | Status | Used For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZED-2 | Tank | 200 Wt | 1960-09-07 | Operational | materials testing | |
| ZEEP | Heavy Water | 1 Wt | 1945-09-01 | Decommissioned | ||
| NRX | Heavy Water | 42 MWt | 1947-07-22 | 1993-03-30 | Permanent shutdown | |
| PTR | Pool | 100 Wt | 1957-11-01 | Decommissioned | ||
| NRU | Heavy Water | 135 MWt | 1957-11-03 | 2018-03-31 | Permanent shutdown | isotope production, neutron scattering, materials testing, training |
| MAPLE 2 | Tank In Pool | 10 MWt | 2008-05-19 | Permanent shutdown | ||
| MAPLE 1 | Tank In Pool | 10 MWt | 2008-05-19 | Permanent shutdown |
Source: IAEA Research Reactor Database (RRDB), as of 2026-10-13.
Fuel Cycle Facilities
Fuel cycle plants at this site, as listed in the IAEA Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities Database: what each plant does, its scale and design capacity, the years it operated, its current status and who operates it.
13 facilities: 7 in operation, 3 shutdown, 1 decommissioning, 2 stand by.
| Facility | Type | Scale | Design Capacity | Operated | Status | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waste Management Area B / Fuel Package and Storage, FPS | Waste Management Facilities | Commercial | 1953– | In Operation | AECL Chalk River National Lab | |
| Waste Management Area C | Waste Management Facilities | Commercial | 129000 m3 | 1963– | In Operation | AECL Chalk River National Lab |
| Waste Management Area D | Waste Management Facilities | Commercial | 35000 m3 | 1974– | In Operation | AECL Chalk River National Lab |
| NPD Spent Fuel Storage | AFR Dry Spent Fuel Storage | Commercial | 75 t HM | 1987– | In Operation | AECL Chalk River National Lab |
| Waste Management Area G | AFR Dry Spent Fuel Storage | Commercial | 1988– | In Operation | AECL Chalk River National Lab | |
| Waste Management Area H | Waste Management Facilities | Commercial | 53100 m3 | 2002– | In Operation | AECL Chalk River National Lab |
| Waste Management Area J | Waste Management Facilities | Commercial | 28500 m3 | 2010– | In Operation | AECL Chalk River National Lab |
| Waste Management Area A | Waste Management Facilities | Commercial | 1946–1955 | Shutdown | AECL Chalk River National Lab | |
| Pu and Thorium Processing Facility | MOX fuel fabrication (Mox Powder, Pellet, Pin, FA) | Laboratory | 0 t HM/year | 1952–1957 | Decommissioning | AECL Research Company |
| Waste Management Area E | Waste Management Facilities | Commercial | 22000 m3 | 1976–1984 | Shutdown | AECL Chalk River National Lab |
| Waste Management Area F | Waste Management Facilities | Commercial | 1976–1980 | Shutdown | AECL Chalk River National Lab | |
| Recycle Fuel Fabr. Lab. (RFFL) | MOX fuel fabrication (Mox Powder, Pellet, Pin, FA) | Laboratory | 0 t HM/year | 1979–2018 | Stand By | Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL) |
| Chalk River Laboratories, NFFF | Fuel Fabrication (Research Reactors) | Commercial | 1990–2018 | Stand By | Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL) |
Source: IAEA Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities Database (NFCFDB), as of 2026-10-13.
Working Here
Per Diem Rates FY 2026
Per diem covers lodging and meals & incidental expenses (M&IE) for government and contractor travel near this facility. Rates are from the U.S. State Department foreign per diem tables for FY 2026.
$167
Lodging/Night
$120
M&IE/Day
$287
Total/Day
Canada: rate for locations the State Department does not list separately
U.S. Department of State foreign per diem, for U.S. government and contractor travel.
Facility Map
Interactive satellite map showing the facility's geographic location. Marker color indicates current status: green for online, red for offline, orange for reduced power. Click the header to open in Google Maps satellite view.
46.053, -77.364
Location & Contact
Physical address, phone number, and website for this facility. Use the directions link to get driving directions via Google Maps.
Plant Facts
About This Site
Written by NukeWorker from public records: facts that do not change. Operator, status and capacity come from the live data elsewhere on this page. Sources: Wikipedia: Chalk River Laboratories; Nuclear Engineering International: AECL, the company that launched a nuclear nation.
Chalk River Laboratories is a nuclear research site on the Ottawa River in Renfrew County, Ontario, near Deep River and about 180 kilometers northwest of Ottawa. It was established in 1944 and later housed research reactors together with fuel and waste facilities.
Read more
ZEEP, a zero-energy experimental reactor, reached criticality on September 5, 1945, and NRX started in 1947. A power excursion at NRX on December 12, 1952 caused major core damage, and the reactor returned to use 14 months later. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited was created in 1952 and took over the site. NRU began operation in 1957, and a fuel rupture and fire occurred there in 1958. NRX closed in 1993 and NRU was shut down permanently on March 31, 2018. The MAPLE reactors were cancelled in 2008.