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Gentilly nuclear power plant 1

Retired Canada
Gross capacity
266MW

Gentilly nuclear power plant 1 is a pressurised heavy water reactor unit at Gentilly nuclear power plant in Canada rated at 266 MW gross. It is retired. Commercial operation began 1 May 1972.

Specification
Reactor type Pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR)
ModelHW BLWR 250
Size classLarge
CoolantHeavy water
ModeratorHeavy water
Gross capacity266MW
Net capacity (reference)250MW
Net capacity (design)250MW
Thermal output792MWt
Typical enrichmentNatural uranium, 0.71% U-235
Ownership & location
SiteGentilly nuclear power plant
Unit1
CountryCanada
OwnerCanadian Nuclear Laboratories Ltd100%
OperatorHydro Quebec
Coordinates 46.3953, -72.3579
Fuel chain for this unit
Fuel form
Natural uranium dioxide bundles
Enrichment
Natural uranium, 0.71% U-235 no enrichment required
Who makes this assembly
Upstream

This unit runs on natural uranium, so its fuel chain has no enrichment step at all: mine → mill → conversion → fabrication. That is the shortest fuel chain of any commercial reactor type, and it makes the operator independent of the four organisations that control enrichment worldwide.

Conversion
CamecoCNNCConverDynOranoRosatom
Fabricator capability is recorded against reactor type and model line, not against named units — utilities do not publish fuel contracts. See the fuel chain.

Timeline

  1. 1 Sep 1966Construction start
  2. 12 Nov 1970First criticality
  3. 5 Apr 1971Grid connection
  4. 1 May 1972Commercial operation
  5. 1 Jun 1977Permanent shutdown

Other units at Gentilly nuclear power plant

UnitStatusGross MW
Gentilly nuclear power plant 2 Retired 675

Sources