Laboratories

The LRT is engaged in R&D aimed at an improved understanding of the complex phenomenology of nuclear safety. For current and future nuclear power plants, LRT performs both analytical and experimental research for reactor safety during normal operation up to severe accident conditions as well as for the safety of spent fuel management systems.

The AHL is the only Swiss laboratory authorized by the safety authorities to handle large quantities of radioactive materials including commercial as well as experimental nuclear fuel.

LES is the Swiss competence center for geochemistry and multi scale radionuclide and mass transport in argillaceous rocks and cement and their applications to deep geological systems and Swiss radioactive waste repositories.

The Laboratory aims to contribute to effective decision-making on medium- to long-term technology strategies in energy supply and demand, ensuring integration of major environmental, economic and social factors.

LEA also develops methodologies and carries out the associated risk analyses, probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) and human reliability analysis (HRA) for nuclear power plants as well as other domains. LEA has a mandate to analyze and communicate to decision-makers and stakeholders strengths and weaknesses of energy technologies and broad implications of alternative energy supply strategies.

The LNM is the principal research unit and national centre of excellence in Switzerland in the domains of (radioactive) materials behaviour and ageing in nuclear installations. It provides material-related academic R&D contributions and scientific services to the sustainability of current and future nuclear installations for electricity and heat generation or waste reduction as well as to the performance of nuclear research facilities. A special emphasis is placed to the safety and safe long-term operation of the Swiss nuclear power plants, where material-related topics like material ageing play a key role.

The LRC focuses on fundamental research and on education in the field of radiochemistry. The topics studied within LRC cover a wide and diverse range of radiochemical research, including studies on the chemistry of heavy elements, harvesting exotic radionuclides from irradiated accelerator components for use in fundamental research, development of innovative radiopharmaceuticals and studying the chemical behaviour of radionuclides in liquid metals proposed as target material or coolant in future nuclear facilities.

The LSM provides theoretical support to experimentalists working at PSI and fosters in this way the scientific interaction and exchange between PSI researchers. It has also a strong expertise in high-performance computing (HPC) and data science.