goingcritical:blayais-4France · Power reactor
Blayais-4
Status: Operating critical since May 1, 1983 Reactor status full glossary → Announced Publicly announced — a site and design are proposed, but construction has not begun. Site preparation Early site and civil works are under way; the first safety-related ("nuclear") concrete has not yet been poured. Under construction Formal construction has begun, marked by the first nuclear concrete. Fuel loaded Nuclear fuel has been loaded into the core. The reactor is fuelled but has not yet gone critical. Critical Has reached first criticality — a self-sustaining chain reaction, usually at low power — but is not yet connected to the grid. Grid connected Synchronised to the electrical grid and exporting power for the first time, but still in commissioning and power-ascension testing — not yet in commercial service. In commercial operation — the operator has formally declared the unit in regular commercial service. Shut down Permanently shut down and no longer generating; may be defuelled, undergoing decommissioning, or preserved in place. Canceled Abandoned before completion.
Site: Blayais, Gironde
Fourth and final CP1-series 900 MWe PWR at the Blayais plant on the Gironde estuary, completing the four-unit Framatome station for EDF. It reached criticality and grid before unit 3 despite its higher number.
Details
| Design | 900 MWe CP1 PWR |
| Electrical output | 910 MWe |
Milestone history
- Announced —
- Construction start April 1, 1978
- Fuel load —
- First criticality May 1, 1983
- Grid connection May 16, 1983
- Commercial operation October 1, 1983