CANDU 6
The CANDU 6 is a Generation II pressurised heavy water reactor from AtkinsRéalis (Candu Energy). 9 units are operating and 0 are under construction, out of 14 on record.
The exported CANDU: a single-unit pressurised heavy water reactor refuelled on load, running on natural uranium. Because it needs no enrichment, a CANDU operator's fuel chain stops at conversion and fabrication, a different upstream position from every light water reactor. Units operate in Canada, South Korea, Romania, China and Argentina.
| Vendor | AtkinsRéalis (Candu Energy) |
|---|---|
| Reactor type | Pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR) |
| Generation | II |
| Capacity range | 600–750 MWe gross |
| Coolant | Heavy water |
| Typical enrichment | Natural uranium, 0.71% U-235 |
| South Korea | 4 units, 3 operating |
|---|---|
| Romania | 5 units, 2 operating |
| China | 2 units, 2 operating |
| Canada | 2 units, 1 operating |
| Argentina | 1 unit, 1 operating |
How long it took to build
Years from construction start to grid connection, for units with both dates on record. The median across 11 finished units is 5.2 years.
| Unit | Country | Started | Connected | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point Lepreau nuclear power plant 1 | Canada | 1975 | 1982 | 7.4 |
| Gentilly nuclear power plant 2 | Canada | 1974 | 1982 | 8.7 |
| Wolsong nuclear power plant 1 | South Korea | 1977 | 1982 | 5.2 |
| Embalse nuclear power plant | Argentina | 1974 | 1983 | 9.1 |
| Cernavodă nuclear power plant 1 | Romania | 1983 | 1996 | 13.3 |
| Wolsong nuclear power plant 2 | South Korea | 1992 | 1997 | 4.5 |
| Wolsong nuclear power plant 3 | South Korea | 1994 | 1998 | 4.0 |
| Wolsong nuclear power plant 4 | South Korea | 1994 | 1999 | 4.8 |
| Qinshan nuclear power plant 3-1 | China | 1998 | 2002 | 4.4 |
| Qinshan nuclear power plant 3-2 | China | 1998 | 2003 | 4.7 |
| Cernavodă nuclear power plant 2 | Romania | 1983 | 2007 | 24.1 |
All CANDU 6 units
| Unit | Country | Status | Gross MW | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cernavodă nuclear power plant 1 | Romania | 706 | 1996 | |
| Cernavodă nuclear power plant 2 | Romania | 705 | 2007 | |
| Embalse nuclear power plant | Argentina | 656 | 1984 | |
| Point Lepreau nuclear power plant 1 | Canada | 705 | 1983 | |
| Qinshan nuclear power plant 3-1 | China | 728 | 2002 | |
| Qinshan nuclear power plant 3-2 | China | 728 | 2003 | |
| Wolsong nuclear power plant 2 | South Korea | 599 | 1997 | |
| Wolsong nuclear power plant 3 | South Korea | 624 | 1998 | |
| Wolsong nuclear power plant 4 | South Korea | 589 | 1999 | |
| Cernavodă nuclear power plant 3 | Romania | Pre-construction | 720 | 2031 |
| Cernavodă nuclear power plant 4 | Romania | Pre-construction | 720 | 2032 |
| Cernavodă nuclear power plant 5 | Romania | Cancelled | 706 | - |
| Gentilly nuclear power plant 2 | Canada | Retired | 675 | 1983 |
| Wolsong nuclear power plant 1 | South Korea | Retired | 683 | 1983 |
Sources
- CANDU 6, vendor documentation
- Global Nuclear Power Tracker, Global Energy Monitor, August 2026 release , CC BY 4.0 · retrieved 2026-09-06
How these sources are used, including the corrections applied on top of them and what is deliberately left blank · download the underlying data