Tokai nuclear power plant 1
Retired Japan
Gross capacity
166MW
Tokai nuclear power plant 1 is a gas-cooled reactor unit at Tokai nuclear power plant in Japan rated at 166 MW gross. It is retired. Commercial operation began 25 Jul 1966.
Specification
| Reactor type | Gas-cooled reactor (GCR) |
|---|---|
| Model | MAGNOX |
| Size class | Large |
| Coolant | Carbon dioxide |
| Moderator | Graphite |
| Gross capacity | 166MW |
| Net capacity (reference) | 137MW |
| Net capacity (design) | 159MW |
| Thermal output | 587MWt |
| Typical enrichment | Natural uranium to 2.5–3.5% U-235 |
Ownership & location
| Site | Tokai nuclear power plant |
|---|---|
| Unit | 1 |
| Country | Japan |
| Owner | Japan Atomic Power Co100% |
| Operator | Japan Atomic Power |
| Coordinates | 36.4215, 140.6028 |
Fuel chain for this unit
Fuel form
Uranium metal (Magnox) or uranium dioxide (AGR)
Enrichment
Natural uranium to 2.5–3.5% U-235 no enrichment required
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utilities do not publish fuel contracts.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 Mar 1961Construction start
- 4 May 1965First criticality
- 10 Nov 1965Grid connection
- 25 Jul 1966Commercial operation
- 31 Mar 1998Permanent shutdown
Other units at Tokai nuclear power plant
| Unit | Status | Gross MW |
|---|---|---|
| Tokai nuclear power plant 2 | Under construction | 1,100 |
Other MAGNOX units
30 units worldwide share this model designation.
| Unit | Country | Status | Gross MW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nyongbyon nuclear power plant 1 | North Korea | 5 | |
| Berkeley nuclear power plant 1 | United Kingdom | Retired | 166 |
| Berkeley nuclear power plant 2 | United Kingdom | Retired | 166 |
| Bradwell nuclear power plant 1 | United Kingdom | Retired | 146 |
| Bradwell nuclear power plant 2 | United Kingdom | Retired | 146 |
| Calder Hall nuclear power plant 1 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 |
| Calder Hall nuclear power plant 2 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 |
| Calder Hall nuclear power plant 3 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 |
| Calder Hall nuclear power plant 4 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 |
| Chapelcross nuclear power plant 1 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 |
| Chapelcross nuclear power plant 2 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 |
| Chapelcross nuclear power plant 3 | United Kingdom | Retired | 60 |
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 2024-05-16
- GEM.wiki entry (further reading) — CC BY-SA 4.0 — linked, not quoted