goingcritical:chinon-a2France · Power reactor

Chinon A2 / EDF-2

Status: Shut down reached first criticality August 17, 1964 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. Operating 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: Chinon, Indre-et-Loire

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Chinon, Indre-et-Loire47.2306° N, 0.1706° E
Summary:

Second UNGG gas-graphite reactor at Chinon on the Loire. First went critical on 17 August 1964. Permanently shut down 14 June 1985.

Details

DesignUNGG (gas-graphite, natural-uranium graphite-moderated, CO2-cooled)
Electrical output210 MWe

Milestone history

  1. Announced
  2. Construction start August 1, 1959
  3. Fuel load
  4. First criticality August 17, 1964
  5. Grid connection February 24, 1965
  6. Commercial operation