In 1956, work began on planning the Halden reactor, which started in 1959. The reactor has since been owned and operated by what became the Foundation Institute For Energy Engineering (IFE)

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The Halden Boiling Water Reactor (HBWR) is a 25 MW research reactor. The reactor is located inside Månefjellet, just outside Halden city centre. The reactor was the world's first boiling reactor moderated with heavy water. Its flexibility as a research reactor opened up many types of experiments, and sparked significant international interest in collaboration.

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Reaktoren var verdens første kokende reaktor moderert med tungtvann. Dens fleksibilitet som forskningsreaktor åpnet for mange typer eksperimenter, og ga betydelig internasjonal interesse for samarbeid.

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The Halden reactor was used for:

• Examination of reactor fuel. The reactor could simulate conditions in different types of reactors to test the properties of fuels.
• Examination of material, mainly casing material or structural material of reactor tank.
• Development of new measurement methods and instruments in the investigation of fuels and materials.

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Spillvarmen fra reaktoren ble brukt til å produsere vanndamp som ble utnyttet av Saugbrugsforeningen.

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I reaktoren er det gjennomført en rekke krevende eksperimenter, med mange typer brensel, belastninger og sluttilstand. Dette har bidratt til en, også i internasjonal sammenheng, betydelig kompleksitet for etterhåndteringen av brenselet.

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The IFE decided to close the Halden reactor in the summer of 2018. After the Fukushima accident in Japan in 2011, missions from international nuclear power industry dwindled. This led to a demanding economy. In addition, technical challenges were faced that could not be solved within the current economic framework. Therefore, the IFE chose to shut down the reactor.

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Fuel and heavy water have so far not been removed from the reactor, and it is therefore still operated with the same safety requirements as during normal operation.

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Halden (HBWR)-reaktoren ble stengt i 2018 og er nå i en permanent nedkjørt tilstand, men under samme sikkerhetsregime som da den var i normal drift

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