The Chinon Nuclear Power

Nuclear power

Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...

 Plant is near the town of Avoine

Avoine, Indre-et-Loire

Avoine is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. It is noted for its thriving chess club.-Population:...

 in the French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 Indre et Loire département, on the Loire river (approximately 10km from the town of Chinon

Chinon

Chinon is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France well known for Château de Chinon.In the Middle Ages, Chinon developed especially during the reign of Henry II . The castle was rebuilt and extended, becoming one of his favorite residences...

). 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

Électricité de France

Électricité de France S.A. is the second largest French utility company. Headquartered in Paris, France, with €65.2 billion in revenues in 2010, EDF operates a diverse portfolio of 120,000+ megawatts of generation capacity in Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.EDF is one of...

 (EDF).

Performance

The site housed three of the first generation of French plants of a Magnox-type (UNGG) 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	Magnox-Reactor	70 MW	80 MW	01.02.1957	14.06.1963	01.02.1964	16.04.1973
Chinon A2	Magnox-Reactor	210 MW	230 MW	01.08.1959	24.02.1965	24.02.1965	14.06.1985
Chinon A3	Magnox-Reactor	480 MW	480 MW	01.03.1961	04.08.1966	04.08.1966	15.06.1990
Chinon B1	PWR Pressurized water reactor Pressurized water reactors constitute a large majority of all western nuclear power plants and are one of three types of light water reactor , the other types being boiling water reactors and supercritical water reactors...	905 MW	954 MW	01.03.1977	30.11.1982	01.02.1984	2024 planned
Chinon B2	PWR Pressurized water reactor Pressurized water reactors constitute a large majority of all western nuclear power plants and are one of three types of light water reactor , the other types being boiling water reactors and supercritical water reactors...	905 MW	954 MW	01.03.1977	29.11.1983	01.08.1984	2024 planned
Chinon B3	PWR Pressurized water reactor Pressurized water reactors constitute a large majority of all western nuclear power plants and are one of three types of light water reactor , the other types being boiling water reactors and supercritical water reactors...	905 MW	954 MW	01.10.1980	20.10.1986	04.03.1987	2027 planned
Chinon B4	PWR Pressurized water reactor Pressurized water reactors constitute a large majority of all western nuclear power plants and are one of three types of light water reactor , the other types being boiling water reactors and supercritical water reactors...	905 MW	954 MW	01.02.1981	14.11.1987	01.04.1988	2028 planned