Work began on the NRCN in 1959 as part of the national policy to develop the Negev desert. The IRR-2 reactor operates on the NRCN, fueled by natural uranium, heavy water cooled and moderated. The reactor’s nominal capacity is 26 MW. The research conducted at the NRCN is designed to broaden the basic knowledge in nuclear sciences and adjacent fields, and to provide the foundation for the practical and economic utilization of nuclear energy. A national radioactive waste disposal site is situated at the NRCN. Radioactive waste from hospitals, research institutions, higher education facilities and factories is delivered to the site.