CANDU 6
The CANDU 6 is a Generation II pressurised heavy water reactor from AtkinsRéalis (Candu Energy). 9 units are operating and 0 are under construction, out of 14 on record.
Operating
9
6.0 GW gross
Under construction
0
Planned
2
Cancelled
1
2 retired
The exported CANDU: a single-unit pressurised heavy water reactor refuelled on load, running on natural uranium. Because it needs no enrichment, a CANDU operator's fuel chain stops at conversion and fabrication — a genuinely different upstream position from every light water reactor. Units operate in Canada, South Korea, Romania, China and Argentina.
Design
| Vendor | AtkinsRéalis (Candu Energy) |
|---|---|
| Reactor type | Pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR) |
| Generation | II |
| Capacity range | 600–750 MWe gross |
| Coolant | Heavy water |
| Typical enrichment | Natural uranium, 0.71% U-235 |
Where it is built
| South Korea | 4 units, 3 operating |
|---|---|
| Romania | 5 units, 2 operating |
| China | 2 units, 2 operating |
| Canada | 2 units, 1 operating |
| Argentina | 1 unit, 1 operating |
All CANDU 6 units
| Unit | Country | Status | Gross MW | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cernavodă nuclear power plant 1 | Romania | 706 | 1996 | |
| Cernavodă nuclear power plant 2 | Romania | 705 | 2007 | |
| Embalse nuclear power plant | Argentina | 656 | 1984 | |
| Point Lepreau nuclear power plant 1 | Canada | 705 | 1983 | |
| Qinshan nuclear power plant 3-1 | China | 728 | 2002 | |
| Qinshan nuclear power plant 3-2 | China | 728 | 2003 | |
| Wolsong nuclear power plant 2 | South Korea | 599 | 1997 | |
| Wolsong nuclear power plant 3 | South Korea | 624 | 1998 | |
| Wolsong nuclear power plant 4 | South Korea | 589 | 1999 | |
| Cernavodă nuclear power plant 3 | Romania | Pre-construction | 720 | 2031 |
| Cernavodă nuclear power plant 4 | Romania | Pre-construction | 720 | 2032 |
| Cernavodă nuclear power plant 5 | Romania | Cancelled | 706 | — |
| Gentilly nuclear power plant 2 | Canada | Retired | 675 | 1983 |
| Wolsong nuclear power plant 1 | South Korea | Retired | 683 | 1983 |
Sources
- CANDU 6 — vendor documentation
- Global Nuclear Power Tracker, Global Energy Monitor, August 2026 release — CC BY 4.0 · retrieved 2026-09-06