goingcritical:hunterston-a-1United Kingdom · Power reactor

Hunterston A1

Status: Shut down reached first criticality August 1, 1963 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: Hunterston, North Ayrshire, Scotland

NorwayDenmarkLondonSheffieldDuisburgBirminghamGlasgowFrankfurtHamburg
Hunterston, North Ayrshire, Scotland55.7221° N, 4.8901° W
Summary:

First Magnox station operated by the South of Scotland Electricity Board; shut down 1990

Details

DesignMagnox gas-cooled, graphite-moderated reactor
Electrical output150 MWe

Milestone history

  1. Announced
  2. Construction start October 1, 1957
  3. Fuel load
  4. First criticality August 1, 1963
  5. Grid connection February 5, 1964
  6. Commercial operation February 5, 1964