goingcritical:chooz-b1France · Power reactor
Chooz B1
Status: Operating critical since July 25, 1996 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: Chooz, Ardennes
First of France's four N4-design PWRs (the last, most powerful French-designed reactor series before the EPR). Chooz B1 first went critical on 25 July 1996 and shares the Chooz site in the Ardennes with the earlier, now-shut-down Chooz-A prototype. Reference power later uprated toward 1500 MWe.
Details
| Design | 1450 MWe N4 PWR |
| Electrical output | 1,500 MWe |
Milestone history
- Announced —
- Construction start January 1, 1984
- Fuel load —
- First criticality July 25, 1996
- Grid connection August 30, 1996
- Commercial operation May 15, 2000