The recently created Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (National Center for A
ccelerators, CNA) in Seville emerges as the first ion beam analysis facilit
y in Spain. The laboratory is based on a 3 MV tandem accelerator model 9SDH
-2 of NEC and it is primarily focused on material research and modification
by means of IBA techniques: PIXE, RES, NRA, PIGME and ERDA. The ions are d
elivered by two ion sources: Alphatross radio-frequency source and SNICS-II
sputtering source. The ion beam handling system includes equipment for bea
m focusing, steering and diagnosis, a 90 degrees analyzing magnet and a sev
en-port switcher magnet. A system based on magnetic steerers has been insta
lled for high-precision beam energy scanning. In this paper the main elemen
ts of the laboratory will be described, focusing on the electronic equipmen
t, detectors and the four beamlines planned for the moment: channeling line
, microbeam line, multipurpose vacuum chamber and external microbeam. Moreo
ver, the characteristics of the system as observed until now by means of pe
rformance tests, beam energy spread measurements and energy calibration exp
eriments will be summarized. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights rese
rved.