The Grenoble research centre (Isère) is located in an industrial zone north-west of the town, at the confluence of the Drac and the Isère rivers. It covers an area of 128 hectares.

The main activities of this Centre are fundamental and applied research in non-nuclear fields (condensed state physics, biology, electronics and materials) and applied research into development of nuclear reactor technologies, mainly focused on safety (thermal hydraulic aspects). The Centre also houses a unit of the INSTN (National Teaching Institute for Nuclear Science and Techniques).

• Effluent and solid waste treatment station and decay storage

The effluent and solid waste treatment station (STEDS - BNI 36) is phasing its activities out until the end of 2010. The solid waste and liquid effluent treatment and packaging functions have ceased. The STEDS is still taking in and providing interim storage for waste, primarily that resulting from clean-up of the BNIs in the centre, before taking them away to alternative disposal routes. One of the major activities in 2005 was removal of the high-level waste bins from the installation's decay pits (BNI 79). The high-level packages stored in these pits were recovered for sorting and optimisation of their contents prior to repackaging. This will enable some of the packages to be sent to ANDRA's Aube repository or to the CEDRA BNI for waste with sufficiently decayed radioactivity levels. For packages for which the level is still too high for removal through the above-mentioned channels, the CEA envisages storing them in ventilated pits in BNI 72 (STED at CEA Saclay).

The CEA will present its final shutdown and decommissioning dossier for this installation at the end of 2006.

• Active material analysis laboratory (LAMA)

This laboratory ended its scientific research duties in 2002. It takes part in the clean-up operations for the Mélusine reactor and is engaged in its own clean-up work. Updating of the safety case and the general operating rules to take account of modifications to the installation, particularly shutdown of the non-irradiated uranium interim store, is currently being reviewed.

The CEA will present the final shutdown and decommissioning dossier for this installation at the end of 2006.

• Siloette reactor

Siloette is a pool-type 100 kWth reactor, primarily used to train operational personnel for the nuclear power generating plants. This reactor has been in the decommissioning phase since mid-2002. All the fuel and the beryllium still present in the installation were removed and the two pools in the installation were drained. All the moving equipment still in the pools has been removed. The decree authorising final shutdown and decommissioning of the reactor was signed on 26 January 2005.

• Mélusine and Siloé reactors

Mélusine is a pool reactor operated by the CEA at its Grenoble Centre. It was finally shut down in 1994.

The decree authorising the CEA to modify the Mélusine reactor prior to its decommissioning and delicensing was published in the Official Gazette in January 2004. The installation's pool is now empty and the its ceramic tiles and the ends of the neutron channels were removed as well. The building and ventilation decommissioning work continued in 2005.

The Siloé reactor, located on the CEA site in Grenoble, has been shut down since 23 December 1997. In 2004, the CEA forwarded a summary of the decommissioning operations which had begun in 1999. Pool drainage was completed in February 2005. The decree authorising final shutdown and decommissioning of the reactor was signed on 26 January 2005. Decommissioning, particularly electromechanical decommissioning, began in 2005.