goingcritical:maine-yankeeUnited States · Power reactor

Maine Yankee

Status: Shut down reached first criticality October 23, 1972 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: Wiscasset, Maine

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Wiscasset, Maine43.9506° N, 69.6961° W
Summary:

Maine's only commercial nuclear plant; closed in 1997 rather than fund needed repairs

Details

DesignCombustion Engineering 3-loop PWR
Electrical output860 MWe

Milestone history

  1. Announced
  2. Construction start October 1, 1968
  3. Fuel load
  4. First criticality October 23, 1972
  5. Grid connection November 8, 1972
  6. Commercial operation December 28, 1972