Tajoura Nuclear Research Centre

The Tajoura Nuclear Research Centre was established by the secretariat of Atomic Energy of Great Socialists peoples Libyan Arab Jamahirya SPLAJ in 1983 to solve problems of economic significance to the country via peaceful application of atomic energy. The aim of establishing the center was to create a modern and well-equipped establishment and the necessary qualified and well-trained personnel to obtain a "Centre of excellence" for carrying out fundamental and applied research, advanced study and training in the field of nuclear science and engineering.

Basic research tools consist of a 10 MW research reactor, a critical facility, a neutron generator complex, and a TM-4 “ Tokomak” with the necessary process, control and measuring equipment and instrumentation for installations. Radiochemical laboratories produce radioactive isotopes for use in agriculture, medicine, geology, biology, and industry. A physical research facility comprising nuclear physics laboratory, solid state physics laboratory, neutron physics laboratory, material science and engineering laboratory, radiation biophysics laboratory, mass spectrometry laboratory, activation analysis laboratory, laboratories for physical research using the neutron generator and in fields having relevance to cover most nuclear technologies and science.

The main facility of the establishmet, is a 10 MW pool-type research reactor designed for isotope production and for fundamental and applied research in nuclear, physics, solid state physics, neutron physics, radiation chemistry, radiation biology, activation analysis, study of behaviour of structural materials under irradiation.The reactor uses ligh enriched uranium (80%) U235 as fuel, light water as coolant and moderator, and beryllium as a reflector.

The 10-megawatt nuclear research reactor supplied by the Soviet Union in 1979 was installed at the research center at Tajura near Tripoli, staffed by 750 Libyan specialists and technicians. Many students were sent abroad; a group of 200 was studying in the United States until early 1983 when the United States proscribed training Libyans in nuclear science.