Beznau nuclear power plant 1
Gross capacity
380MW
Beznau nuclear power plant 1 is a pressurised water reactor unit at Beznau nuclear power plant in Switzerland rated at 380 MW gross. It is operating. Commercial operation began 9 Dec 1969.
Specification
| Reactor type | Pressurised water reactor (PWR) |
|---|---|
| Model | WH 2LP |
| Size class | Large |
| Coolant | Light water |
| Moderator | Light water |
| Gross capacity | 380MW |
| Net capacity (reference) | 365MW |
| Net capacity (design) | 350MW |
| Thermal output | 1,130MWt |
| Typical enrichment | 3–5% U-235 |
Ownership & location
| Site | Beznau nuclear power plant |
|---|---|
| Unit | 1 |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Owner | Kernkraftwerk Beznau Ch-5312 Döttingen100% |
| Operator | Kernkraftwerk Beznau Ch-5312 Döttingen |
| Coordinates | 47.5520, 8.2281 |
Fuel chain for this unit
Fuel form
Uranium dioxide pellets in zirconium-alloy cladding
Enrichment
3–5% U-235
Who makes this assembly
- China National Nuclear Corporation PWR fuel assemblies
- ENUSA Industrias Avanzadas PWR and BWR fuel assemblies
- Framatome PWR fuel assemblies
- KEPCO Nuclear Fuel PWR fuel assemblies
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries PWR fuel assemblies
- Westinghouse Electric Company PWR fuel assemblies
Upstream
Enriched fuel means this unit sits downstream of five conversion plants and four enrichment operators holding 88% of world capacity between the top three.
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utilities do not publish fuel contracts.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 Sep 1965Construction start
- 30 Jun 1969First criticality
- 17 Jul 1969Grid connection
- 9 Dec 1969Commercial operation
Other units at Beznau nuclear power plant
| Unit | Status | Gross MW |
|---|---|---|
| Beznau nuclear power plant 2 | 380 | |
| Beznau nuclear power plant 3 | Cancelled | 1,600 |
Other WH 2LP units
7 units worldwide share this model designation.
| Unit | Country | Status | Gross MW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angra nuclear power plant 1 | Brazil | 640 | |
| Beznau nuclear power plant 2 | Switzerland | 380 | |
| Krško nuclear power plant 1 | Slovenia | 727 | |
| Doel nuclear power plant 1 | Belgium | Retired | 454 |
| Doel nuclear power plant 2 | Belgium | Retired | 454 |
| Mihama nuclear power plant 1 | Japan | Retired | 340 |
Sources
- Global Nuclear Power Tracker, Global Energy Monitor, August 2026 release — CC BY 4.0 · retrieved 2026-09-06 · this unit last researched by GEM on 2024-05-09
- GEM.wiki entry (further reading) — CC BY-SA 4.0 — linked, not quoted