Civaux Nuclear Power Plant

The Civaux Nuclear Power Plant is located in the commune of Civaux (Vienne) at the edge of Vienne River between Confolens (60 km upstream) and Chauvigny (14 km downstream), and 44 km south-east of Poitiers.

Civaux Nuclear Power Plant
Civaux Nuclear Power Plant
Official nameCentrale Nucléaire de Civaux
CountryFrance
LocationCivaux (Vienne)
Coordinates46°27′24″N 0°39′10″E
StatusOperational
Construction began1988
Commission date2002
Operator(s)EDF
Nuclear power station
Reactor typePWR
N4
Reactor supplierFramatome
Cooling towers2
Cooling sourceVienne River
Power generation
Units operational2 x 1561 MW
Make and modelAlstom
Nameplate capacity3,122 MW
Capacity factor78.5%
Annual net output21,458 GW·h
External links
WebsiteSite c/o EDF
CommonsRelated media on Commons

It has two operating units that were the precursors to the European Pressurized Reactor, being the "N4 stage". Designed for a net power output of 1350 MWe per unit, power was uprated to 1360 MWe in 2010. The Civaux plant uses ambient air and water from the Vienne River for cooling.[1]

As of 2014, 582 people work at the plant, with 2.9% women.

The cooling towers of Civaux Nuclear Power Plant are 178 metres in height, which are the highest among those of EDF's nuclear power plants.[2]

Events

  • On May 12, 1998 there was a leak on an elbow in a pipe of the RCS. Water leaked out at the rate of 30 cubic meters per hour. It was classified as an INES level-2 event.
  • Civaux was a proposed target in the 1998 World Cup terror plot; it was planned that Armed Islamic Group terrorists would crash a hijacked aeroplane into the plant on 15 June 1998. The plot was foiled with a mass arrest of conspirators on 26 May.

Reactors

Unit Type Net power Total power Construction start Construction finish Commercial operation Shut down
CIVAUX-1 PWR 1495 MW 1561 MW 1988/10/15 1997/12/24 2002/01/29
CIVAUX-2 PWR 1495 MW 1561 MW 1991/04/01 1999/12/24 2002/04/23

See also

References

  1. ASN. "La centrale de Civaux". Archived from the original on 30 December 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  2. Document Afsset, 10 octobre 2007


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