The Zoé reactor
In 1945, French general Charles de Gaulle signed the acts creating the Commissariat à l’énergie atomique ― the French Atomic Energy Commission. The mission brief given to the first CEA high-commissioner Frédéric Joliot-Curie was “to conduct scientific and technical research into the use of atomic energy for applications serving the interests of science, industry and national defence”. The CEA’s first success was to commission the first French nuclear reactor, dubbed Zoé. Built in record time, the reactor first achieved activated fission on 15 December 1948, signalling the launch of the French nuclear research programme.
Guided tours can be organized during open-doors events or national heritage days, or scheduled specially for group visits.
Contact : Isabelle PHILIPPE (+33 1 46 54 83 81 - isabelle.philippe@cea.fr)