Chinon Nuclear Power Plant
| Chinon Nuclear Power Plant | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location of Chinon Nuclear Power Plant in France | |
| Official name | Centrale Nucléaire de Chinon |
| Country | France |
| Location | Avoine, Indre-et-Loire |
| Coordinates | 47°13′57″N 0°10′13″E / 47.2325°N 0.1703°ECoordinates: 47°13′57″N 0°10′13″E / 47.2325°N 0.1703°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1957 |
| Commission date | February 1, 1964 |
| Operator(s) | EDF |
| Nuclear power station | |
| Reactor type | PWR |
| Reactor supplier | Framatome |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 4 × 954 MW |
| Make and model | Alstom |
| Units decommissioned |
1 × 80 MW 1 × 230 MW 1 × 480 MW |
| Nameplate capacity | 1,816 MW |
| Average generation | 23,925 GWh |
|
Website EDF (French) | |
The Chinon Nuclear Power Plant (French: Centrale nucléaire de Chinon) is near the town of Avoine in the French Indre et Loire département, on the Loire river (approximately 10 km from the town of Chinon). The power station has seven reactors, of which three are now closed.
The nuclear power station employs approximately 1,350 full-time workers. The operator is the French company Électricité de France (EDF).
Performance
The site housed three of the first generation of French plants, which were of UNGG-type (similar to the Magnox design). Since then, four of the first French PWR series have been built. The site uses four cooling towers that were built with a low profile for the specific purpose of not blocking the views of the Loire.
The plant is on the large side for a French plant. It feeds approximately 6% of the national electricity demand of France.
Reactors
| Unit | Type | Net power | Total power | Construction start | Construction finish | Commercial operation | Shut down |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinon A1 | UNGG | 70 MW | 80 MW | 01.02.1957 | 14.06.1963 | 01.02.1964 | 16.04.1973 |
| Chinon A2 | UNGG | 210 MW | 230 MW | 01.08.1959 | 24.02.1965 | 24.02.1965 | 14.06.1985 |
| Chinon A3 | UNGG | 480 MW | 480 MW | 01.03.1961 | 04.08.1966 | 04.08.1966 | 15.06.1990 |
| Chinon B1 | PWR | 905 MW | 954 MW | 01.03.1977 | 30.11.1982 | 01.02.1984 | Qualified to operate until 2024 |
| Chinon B2 | PWR | 905 MW | 954 MW | 01.03.1977 | 29.11.1983 | 01.08.1984 | Qualified to operate until 2024 |
| Chinon B3 | PWR | 905 MW | 954 MW | 01.10.1980 | 20.10.1986 | 04.03.1987 | Qualified to operate until 2027 |
| Chinon B4 | PWR | 905 MW | 954 MW | 01.02.1981 | 14.11.1987 | 01.04.1988 | Qualified to operate until 2028 |
Events
- During the unusually cold 1986-87 winter, the water intake from the river, as well as several other important pieces of equipment and machinery, froze
- On December 21, 2005, sand accumulated inside the tertiary cooling circuit, threatening to block it. This could have stopped cooling of all the reactors.
- On September 4, 2008, some industrial oil was accidentally discharged to the river in a maintenance operation. It was not radioactively contaminated.
- On April 30, 2009, a bomb alert caused an evacuation of the plant and an intervention by several units of army security forces
Other info
- Since 1986, the closed Chinon A1 reactor has been redeveloped to hold the French Atom Museum.
- The INTRA (INTervention Robotic on Accidents) group, a nuclear event emergency intervention group equipped with remotely guided, radiation hardened machinery, has its headquarters on the plant's areal
See also
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chinon nuclear power plant. |