Phénix
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Phénix (French for phoenix) was a small-scale (gross 264/net 233 MWe) prototype fast breeder reactor, located at the Marcoule nuclear site, near Orange, France. It was a pool-type liquid-metal fast breeder reactor cooled with liquid sodium. It generated 590 MW of thermal power, and had a breeding ratio of 1.16 (16% more plutonium produced than consumed), but normally had to be stopped for refueling operations every two months. Phénix continued operating after the closure of the subsequent full-scale prototype Superphénix in 1997. After 2004, its main use was investigation of transmutation of nuclear waste while also generating some electricity. Phénix was shut down in 2009.[1]
Phénix | |
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Official name |
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Country | France |
Location | Marcoule |
Coordinates | 44°08′36″N 4°42′42″E |
Status | Closed |
Construction began | 1968 |
Commission date | 13 December 1973 (1973-12-13) |
Decommission date | 1 February 2010 (2010-02-01)[1] |
Operator(s) | CEA EDF |
Nuclear power station | |
Reactor type | FBR |
Reactor supplier | CEM |
Cooling source | |
Power generation | |
Make and model | CEM |
Units decommissioned | 1 x 250 MW |
Nameplate capacity | 250 MW |
Capacity factor | 27.0% |
Annual net output | 591 GW·h |
The decommissioning project started in 2005. Between 2009 and 2011, the non-nuclear equipment and turbine hall were dismantled. The decommissioning license was expected for 2015.[2] Finalising of the decommissioning process is expected between 2031 and 2043.[3]