Pickering nuclear power plant A2
Retired Canada
Gross capacity
542MW
Pickering nuclear power plant A2 is a pressurised heavy water reactor unit at Pickering nuclear power plant in Canada rated at 542 MW gross. It is retired. Commercial operation began 30 Dec 1971.
Specification
| Reactor type | Pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR) |
|---|---|
| Model | CANDU 500A |
| Size class | Large |
| Coolant | Heavy water |
| Moderator | Heavy water |
| Gross capacity | 542MW |
| Net capacity (reference) | 515MW |
| Net capacity (design) | 508MW |
| Thermal output | 1,744MWt |
| Typical enrichment | Natural uranium, 0.71% U-235 |
Ownership & location
| Site | Pickering nuclear power plant |
|---|---|
| Unit | A2 |
| Country | Canada |
| Owner | Ontario Power Generation Inc100% |
| Operator | Ontario Power Generation |
| Coordinates | 43.8107, -79.0689 |
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
- BWX Technologies CANDU fuel bundles, natural uranium
- Cameco Corporation CANDU fuel bundles, natural uranium
- China North Nuclear Fuel Company CANDU fuel bundles
- KEPCO Nuclear Fuel CANDU fuel bundles
- Nuclear Power Corporation of India PHWR fuel bundles, natural uranium
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.
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utilities do not publish fuel contracts.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 1966Construction start
- 15 Sep 1971First criticality
- 6 Oct 1971Grid connection
- 30 Dec 1971Commercial operation
- 28 May 2007Permanent shutdown
Other units at Pickering nuclear power plant
| Unit | Status | Gross MW |
|---|---|---|
| Pickering nuclear power plant A1 | Retired | 542 |
| Pickering nuclear power plant A3 | Retired | 542 |
| Pickering nuclear power plant A4 | Retired | 542 |
| Pickering nuclear power plant B5 | 540 | |
| Pickering nuclear power plant B6 | 540 | |
| Pickering nuclear power plant B7 | 540 | |
| Pickering nuclear power plant B8 | 540 |
Other CANDU 500A units
4 units worldwide share this model designation.
| Unit | Country | Status | Gross MW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pickering nuclear power plant A1 | Canada | Retired | 542 |
| Pickering nuclear power plant A3 | Canada | Retired | 542 |
| Pickering nuclear power plant A4 | Canada | Retired | 542 |
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