goingcritical:fessenheim-1France · Power reactor
Fessenheim-1
Status: Shut down reached first criticality February 7, 1977 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: Fessenheim, Haut-Rhin
One of the first two units of France's standardized 900 MWe CP0 PWR series, on the Rhine in Alsace. First went critical on 7 February 1977. France's oldest operating reactor at the time of its politically driven closure. Permanently shut down 22 February 2020.
Details
| Design | 900 MWe CP0 PWR |
| Electrical output | 880 MWe |
Milestone history
- Announced —
- Construction start September 1, 1971
- Fuel load —
- First criticality February 7, 1977
- Grid connection April 6, 1977
- Commercial operation January 1, 1978