Pakistan Atomic Research Reactor
Pair of research nuclear reactors in Nilore, Islamabad, Pakistan

Pakistan Atomic Research Reactor
Pakistan Atomic Research Reactor is located in Pakistan
Pakistan Atomic Research Reactor
Location of Pakistan Atomic Research Reactor
Operating InstitutionPakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH)
LocationNilore, Islamabad, Pakistan
Coordinates33°39′13″N 73°15′30″E / 33.65361°N 73.25833°E / 33.65361; 73.25833
TypeOpen pool reactor
Materials Test Reactor
Miniature neutron source reactor (MNSR)
SLOWPOKE reactor
Power10 MW (PARR-I)
30 Kw (PARR-II)
Construction and Upkeep
Construction CostPARR-I
US$600,000 ($5.99 million in 2024)
Construction Began8 July 1965; 60 years ago (1965-07-08)
Time to Construct5 months
First Criticality21 December 1965; 60 years ago (1965-12-21)
Shutdown dateN/A
Decommission dateN/A
StaffClassified
OperatorsClassified
Refuel FrequencyN/A
Technical Specifications
Max Thermal Flux1.05E+13 n/cm^2-s
Max Fast Flux1.70E+14 n/cm^2-s
Coolinglight water
Neutron Moderatorlight water
Neutron Reflectorheavy water, graphite, beryllium
Control Rods8 Rods
Cladding MaterialAluminium Alloy

The Pakistan Atomic Research Reactor or (PARR) are two nuclear research reactors and two other experimental neutron sources located in the PINSTECH Laboratory, Nilore, Islamabad, Pakistan.

In addition a reprocessing facility referred to as New Labs also exists for nuclear weapons research and production.

The first nuclear reactor was supplied and financially constructed by the Government of United States of America in the mid 1960s. The other reactor and reprocessing facility are built and supplied by Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in the 1970s and 1980s, respectively. Supervised by the United States and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the first two reactors are subject to IAEA safeguards and its inspections.[1]

History of PARR-Reactors

The acqusition of the PARR-I was culiminated from a tense negotiation between the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission and the Planning Commission.: 18 [2] The United States Atomic Energy Commission had earlier offered the CP-5 research reactor at the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) at the price tag of 1 million USD ($9.98 million in 2024) but the matter was shelved due funding issues.: 18  The PAEC then showed interest in acquiring the Canadian NRX installed at the Chalk River Laboratories which was priced at 7 million USD ($69.8 million in 2024) but the Planning Commission deferred this initiative by prioritizing the funding to build the Warsak Dam– hydroelectric power dam in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.: 19 [2]

In 1959, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) decided to submit its own design for the swimming–pool reactor and was budgeted to be at US$600,000 ($5.99 million in 2024) of Pakistani taxpayers, which was approved for the funding and paved away for establishing the Pakistan Atomic Research Reactor (PARR).: 19 [2] Direct negotiation took place between the governments of Pakistan and the United States under the Atoms for Peace program and the contract was awarded to the American Machine and Foundry (AMF) as reactor supplier with Peter Karter its design engineer.[3]

PARR Reactors

PARR-I

The PARR-I is an swimming pool-type research reactor that was purchased and obtained under the United States' Atoms for Peace program.[4]: 193 [5] The American Machine and Foundry (AMF) built the reactor site with Peter Karter who served its reactor design engineer.: 8–9 [6]: 75 [7]

Originally from the AMF and Karter's design, the PARR-I used highly-enriched uranium (HEU) as its fuel bundle that was imported from the United States with a designed at power output of 5 megawatts (0.0050 GW) (thermal).: 13 [8] Light water in a swimming pool setting is used as a moderator, coolant source, and acts as means of radiation shielding.: 13 [8] Graphite, in thermal square column geometry, is used a reflector.: 13 [8]

The PARR-I core latice has 54 cicular 9×6 array with 81-mm x 77.11-mm latice spacing and containing the standard fuel and control fuel elements (SFEs) with aluminum claddings.: 14–16 [8]

On December 21, 1965, the PARR-I went into critical under the supervision of team of physicists led by Naeem Ahmad Khan, and attained full power on 22 June 1966. With HEU core, the PARR-I operated at 30,000-hours (3-years) produced about 93,000 megawatts (93 GW) energy.[9]

The PARR-I is a source of plutonium and has been used in research to understand the science of tritium, solid-state physics, fission studies, and neutron diffraction investigations.[9]: 88–89 [10]

In 1990, the PARR-I was shut down for engineering modifications that converted the PARR-I from its original design to increase its power output to 10 megawatts (0.010 GW) (thermal), which is three-times less than the megawatt (electric), but this modification had to scaled down on the HEU fuel and now uses the low-enriched uranium (LEU) as its fuel bundle which is locally produced, thus ending the dependence on imports.: 193 [11][9] The increased of the power output, however, led to the higher burn-up rates and produces only 100 grams (0.22 lb) of plutonium, which is insufficient for amount for fissile material (weapons-grade plutonium).: 193 [11]

The PARR-1 went critical with < 20% LEU fuel on 31 October 1991, and attained power 10 megawatts (0.010 GW) (thermal) on 7 May 1992.[9] With an LEU core, the PARR-I has operated at 10,000-hours (1-year) produced about 66,000 megawatts (66 GW) energy.[8] The core configuration attained its equilibrium configuration in February 1995.: 13 [8]

The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) regularly inspects the reactor and reports it to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as part of the agreement with the United States.[12] The PARR-I has a design life and its operating license is valid up to 1 December 2031.: 6–7 [13]

The PARR-I holds a unique distinction for providing the training to many of nation's scientists and engineers, and its services were recognized in a "Golden Jubilee Conference" that was held in reactor's honor in 2015.: 1–5 [14]

PARR-II Reactor

The PARR-II Reactor is an indigenously designed and constructed reactor owned by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. The PARR-II Reactor's design is similar to Miniature neutron source reactor (MNSR) and SLOWPOKE reactor. The reactor was indigenously designed by the PAEC as the chairman Munir Ahmad Khan and his team of engineers and scientists also led the construction of the reactor. The PARR-II Reactor had gone critical and began operating on 21 January 1974.[15] The PARR-II Reactor is a tank-in-pool reactor with a rated power of 27–30 kW. Same as the first reactor, the reactor is designed to use the High Enrich Uranium (HEU) fuel. The HEU fuel use the ~90% 235U at a power level of 30 kW.[16] The demineralised light water is used as a coolant moderator and the reactor core is reflected by metallic Be4.

A PARR-II consists of a core reactor, control rod, and nuclear reflectors, and it is enclosed in a water-tight cylindrical Al13 alloy vessel. The nuclear reactor core is an under-moderated array with 1H to 235U ratio of temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) and provides a strong Negative temperature coefficient and thermal volume coefficients of reactivity.[17] The PAEC scientists and engineers also built and constructed the nuclear accelerator on 9 April 1989. The particle accelerator is heavily used to conduct research in nuclear technology.

New Labs

Unlike the PARR-I and PARR-II the New Labs is not subject to IAEA inspections.[citation needed] and is completely different from its parent reactors. It is a plutonium-fuel reprocessing plant and works as a pilot 94Pu reprocessing facility with a capability to use the ~7% 239Pu, to handle the isotopes and use the 86Kr emissions and radiation.[18] It is also a reprocessing plant to change <~7% 239Pu into <~7% weapon-grade 240Pu fuel.[19] New Labs were designed and constructed indigenously by Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) under its chairman Munir Ahmad Khan whereas it project-director was a mechanical engineer, Chaudhry Abdul Majeed. The construction of the facility was led by NESPAK.

In the 1960s PAEC contracted the project with British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL), and Saint-Gobain Techniques Nouvelles (SGN).[citation needed] PAEC engineers and scientists led the initial design for a large-scale reprocessing plant with a capacity to re-process 100 tons of fuel per year, while BNFL and SGN provided funds, technical assistance, and nuclear fuel. However, after the India's Operation Smiling Buddha nuclear test, both British and French consumer companies immediately cancelled their contracts with PAEC.

The plant was completed in 1981 and cold reprocessing tests for producing plutonium took place at New Labs in 1986. The New Labs came into limelight when Pakistan had secretly tested its plutonium weapon-based nuclear device in Kirana Hills.[20] On 30 May 1998, the PAEC scientists, under renowned nuclear physicist Dr. Samar Mubarakmand, had tested a miniaturised nuclear device that is believed to be a Plutonium devices for which plutonium was most likely reprocessed by the Pakistani scientists into weapon-grade at the New Labs. The test yield of a nuclear devices was reported to be 12–40 kt.

Charged Particle Accelerator

In early 1983, Pakistani nuclear physicist Dr. Samar Mubarakmand developed and established a neutron particle and nuclear accelerator to conduct the research of explosions of nuclear elements and isotopes in a nuclear device. Known as a Charged Particle Accelerator (CPA), the nuclear accelerator is a 250 keV Ion accelerator which can deliver all Gaseous ions such as +H, +N, +O, +He, +Ne, +Ar, +Kr, +Xe or molecular ions. The accelerator's energy range is highly flexible and ions between 50 and 250 keV can be delivered to a target of dimensions ranging from few mm to many cm.[21]

The particle facility is designed to implantation of 42+Mo, 51+Sn, and 46+Pb ions into steel, friction can be reduced by up to ~50%. During the process of ion implantation, the oxidation is inhibited by suitable ions such as 5+B,20+Ca into metals. The PINSTECH accelerator can be used by mutual arrangement between PINSTECH and industry or any other organisations.[21]

Fast-Neutron Generator

In 1961, the United States Government led the establishment of ICF-based Fusion power experimental source near at Nilore, before the establishment of PINSTECH Institute.[22] The neutron generator was bought by the PAEC from Texas A&M Nuclear Science Center.[22] The facility is capable of producing mono-energetic neutrons at 3.5–14.7 MeV from deuterium-tritium fusion reaction.[22] This fusion experimental devices has capability to capture the low neutron flux on the order of 105 to 108 neutrons per cm2 per second, resulting in nucleosynthesis by the s-process (slow-neutron-capture-process).[22] It is designed and planned to do fast neutron activation for elements such as oxygen and nitrogen as well as some rare earth isotopes.[22]

References

  1. ^ Unknown. "See:Pakistan's Nuclear Infrastructure" (google docs).
  2. ^ a b c Ahmed, Mansoor (2022). Pakistan's Pathway to the Bomb: Ambitions, Politics, and Rivalries (google books). Washington DC: Georgetown University Press. p. 304. ISBN 978-1-64712-231-7. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  3. ^ Mastermind of the MRF Logsdon, Gene. BioCycle. Emmaus: April 1993. Vol. 34, Iss. 4; pg. 49, ff.
  4. ^ "Nuclear Power in Pakistan - World Nuclear Association". world-nuclear.org. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  5. ^ "PARR-! Research Reactor". www.pnra.org/. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  6. ^ Power Plant Engineering. Technical Publishing Company. 1963. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  7. ^ Applebaum, Diane K. (2007). Taps: A Supplement to Assembly Magazine. Association of Graduates, United States Military Academy. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "PARR-I Program Crticality" (PDF). 1995. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016.
  9. ^ a b c d Pervez, S.; Latif, M.; Bokhari, I.; Bukhtyar, S. (2004). "Performance of PARR-I with LEU" (pdf). www.anl.gov. Nilore, Islamabad: Argonne National Laboratory. Retrieved 12 January 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ "§Nilore". Pakistan Army Weapon Systems Handbook Volume 1 Strategic Information and Weapon Systems (google books). USA: Lulu.com. 21 April 2011. ISBN 978-1-4330-6184-4. Retrieved 12 January 2026.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ a b Khan, Feroz (7 November 2012). "§Mastery of the Plutonium Production". Eating Grass: The Making of the Pakistani Bomb (google books). Stanford, CA, USA: Stanford University Press. p. 550. ISBN 978-0-8047-8480-1. Retrieved 12 January 2026.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "Research Reactors". www.pnra.org. PNRA. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  13. ^ Mansoor, F. (1 September 2024). "PNRA: Annual Report 2024" (pdf). www.pnra.org. Islamabad: Pangraphics. p. 50. Retrieved 12 January 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ Khan, S. Riaz (2015). "PINSTECH celebrates Golden Jubilee of PARR-I criticality" (pdf). www.paec.gov.pk. Islamabad, Pakistan: PAEC. p. 10. Retrieved 12 January 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ "History -- PINSTECH". Archived from the original on 31 January 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
  16. ^ Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH); Higher Education Commission of Pakistan. "Chapter 2: Description of Reactors" (google docs). PINSTECH and HEC. Higher Education Commission.
  17. ^ Wasim, M.; Zaidi, J. H.; Arif, M.; Fatima, I. (1 September 2008). "Development and implementation of k0-INAA standardization at PINSTECH". Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry. 277 (3): 525–529. doi:10.1007/s10967-007-7100-8. ISSN 1588-2780. S2CID 99794444.
  18. ^ Albright, David (1 June 1998), Technical Assessment: Pakistan's Efforts to Obtain Unsafeguarded Plutonium are Nearing Fruition
  19. ^ "Rawalpindi New Labs - Pakistan Special Weapons Facilities". nuke.fas.org. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  20. ^ How Pakistan Made Nuclear Fuel" by Munir Ahmad Khan, former chairperson of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission: Islamabad The Nation 7 February 1998, page 7
  21. ^ a b "-- Facilities -- PINSTECH". Archived from the original on 30 October 2009. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
  22. ^ a b c d e Fast Neutron Physics Group (FNPG). "Fast Neutron Generator". PINSTECH Institute's Media Research Cell (Note: For more information click on Physics Research Division.). Atomic and Nuclear Radiation Group (ANR Group). Archived from the original on 19 June 2006.
  • PARR Reactors
  • PARR-I
  • PARR-II
  • PARR Nuclear Reactors Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
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