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'''CIRUS''' (Canada India Reactor Utility Services)<ref>{{cite news |title=50-Yr Old Research N-Reactor CIRUS Shut Down |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/50-yr-old-research-n-reactor-cirus-shut-down/706959 |work=Outlook}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Research N-reactor CIRUS to shutdown permanently on December 31 |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-research-n-reactor-cirus-to-shutdown-permanently-on-december-31-1482987 |work=DNA |date=18 December 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Evans |first1=Brian L. |title=The Remarkable Chester Ronning: Proud Son of China |date=2013 |publisher=University of Alberta |isbn=9780888646637 |url=https://archive.org/details/remarkablecheste0000evan |url-access=registration |page=[https://archive.org/details/remarkablecheste0000evan/page/189 189] |quote=Canada India Reactor Utility Services. |language=en}}</ref> was a research [[nuclear reactor|reactor]] at the [[Bhabha Atomic Research Center]] (BARC) in [[Trombay]] near [[Mumbai]], [[India]]. CIRUS was supplied by [[Canada]] in 1954, but used [[heavy water]] ([[deuterium]] oxide) supplied by the [[United States]]. It was the second nuclear reactor to be built in India.

It was modeled on the Canadian Chalk River [[NRX|National Research X-perimental]] (NRX) reactor.<ref name="nti">{{cite web|title=Canadian-Indian Reactor, U.S.|url=http://www.nti.org/facilities/832/|publisher=NTI|access-date=10 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160217144204/http://www.nti.org/facilities/832/|archive-date=17 February 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The 40 MW reactor used [[natural uranium]] fuel, while using heavy water as a [[neutron moderator|moderator]].<ref name="barc">{{cite web|title = Cirus reactor|work = Bhabha Atomic Research Center|url=http://www.barc.ernet.in/webpages/reactors/cirus.html|access-date = 2007-04-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070709060317/http://www.barc.ernet.in/webpages/reactors/cirus.html|archive-date=9 July 2007}}</ref> It is a tank reactor type with a core size of 3.14 m (H) × 2.67 m (D). It first went [[critical mass|critical]] July 10, 1960.<ref name="barc"/>

The reactor was not under [[IAEA]] safeguards (which did not exist when the reactor was sold), although Canada stipulated, and the U.S. supply contract for the heavy water explicitly specified, that it only be used for peaceful purposes. Nonetheless, CIRUS produced some of India's initial [[weapons-grade]] [[plutonium]] stockpile,<ref>[http://www.ccnr.org/exports_3.html#3.2.2 Exporting Disaster ~ The Cost of Selling CANDU Reactors (3)]. Ccnr.org. Retrieved on 2013-12-06.</ref> as well as the plutonium for India's 1974 [[Pokhran-I]] (Codename Smiling Buddha) nuclear test, the country's first nuclear test.<ref name="gulfnews">{{cite news|last=Gopal|first=Neena|title=PM to announce Cirus reactor shutdown|work = Gulfnews|date=2006-07-03|url=http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/06/03/07/10023671.html|access-date=2007-04-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081019183301/http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/06/03/07/10023671.html|archive-date=19 October 2008 }}</ref> At a capacity factor of 50–80%, CIRUS can produce 6.6–10.5 kg of plutonium a year.

CIRUS was shut down in September 1997 for refurbishment and was scheduled to resume operation in 2003. The reactor was brought back into operation two years late in 2005. During refurbishing, a low-temperature vacuum evaporation-based [[desalination]] unit was also coupled to the reactor to serve as demonstration of using [[waste heat]] from a research reactor for sea desalination. Even if the reactor has a life of twenty more years, India had declared that this reactor would be shut down by 2010 in accordance with the [[U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement|Indo-US nuclear accord]] reached between Indian Prime Minister [[Manmohan Singh]] and US President [[George W. Bush]].<ref name="gulfnews"/> The reactor was shut down on 31 December 2010.<ref name="dnaindia">{{cite news|title=Research N-reactor CIRUS to {{sic|shutd|own|nolink=y}} permanently on December 31|work = DNAIndia|date=2010-12-18|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_research-n-reactor-cirus-to-shutdown-permanently-on-december-31_1482987}}</ref>

==References==
{{Portal|India|Nuclear technology|Energy}}
{{Reflist|2}}

{{Nuclear power in India}}
{{coord|19|00|28|N|72|55|07|E|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cirus reactor}}
[[Category:Canada–India relations]]
[[Category:Nuclear technology in India]]
[[Category:Military nuclear reactors]]
[[Category:1954 establishments in Bombay State]]

CIRUS reactor - Revision history

UpdateBot at 12:30, 24 September 2021