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nuclear•chain

Lucens nuclear power plant

Retired Switzerland
Gross capacity
7MW

Lucens nuclear power plant is a pressurised heavy water reactor unit at Lucens nuclear power plant in Switzerland rated at 7 MW gross. It is retired. Commercial operation began 1 Jan 1968.

Specification
Reactor type Pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR)
ModelHWGCR: 2-loops
Size classLarge
CoolantHeavy water
ModeratorHeavy water
Gross capacity7MW
Net capacity (reference)6MW
Net capacity (design)6MW
Thermal output28MWt
Typical enrichmentNatural uranium, 0.71% U-235
Ownership & location
SiteLucens nuclear power plant
Unitnot stated
CountrySwitzerland
OwnerNationale Gesellschaft Zur Förderung Der Industriellen Atomtechnik100%
OperatorEnergie De L'Ouest Suisse
Coordinates 46.6927, 6.8272
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Fabricator capability is recorded against reactor type and model line, not against named units — utilities do not publish fuel contracts.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 Apr 1962Construction start
  2. 29 Dec 1966First criticality
  3. 29 Jan 1968Grid connection
  4. 1 Jan 1968Commercial operation
  5. 1 Jan 1969Permanent shutdown

Sources