Dounreay nuclear power plant DFR
Retired United Kingdom
Gross capacity
15MW
Dounreay nuclear power plant DFR is a fast reactor unit at Dounreay nuclear power plant in United Kingdom rated at 15 MW gross. It is retired. Commercial operation began 1 Oct 1962.
Specification
| Reactor type | Fast reactor (FBR) |
|---|---|
| Model | not disclosed |
| Size class | Large |
| Coolant | Liquid sodium or lead |
| Moderator | None |
| Gross capacity | 15MW |
| Net capacity (reference) | 11MW |
| Net capacity (design) | 14MW |
| Thermal output | 60MWt |
| Typical enrichment | 15–20% fissile, or plutonium |
Ownership & location
| Site | Dounreay nuclear power plant |
|---|---|
| Unit | DFR |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Owner | United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority100% |
| Operator | United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority |
| Coordinates | 58.5805, -3.7374 |
Fuel chain for this unit
Fuel form
Mixed oxide or metallic fuel
Enrichment
15–20% fissile, or plutonium
Who makes this assembly
- TVEL Fuel Company Fast reactor fuel, including MOX
Upstream
Enriched fuel means this unit sits downstream of five conversion plants and four enrichment operators holding 88% of world capacity between the top three.
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utilities do not publish fuel contracts.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 1955Construction start
- 14 Nov 1959First criticality
- 1 Oct 1962Grid connection
- 1 Oct 1962Commercial operation
- 1 Mar 1977Permanent shutdown
Other units at Dounreay nuclear power plant
| Unit | Status | Gross MW |
|---|---|---|
| Dounreay nuclear power plant PFR | Retired | 250 |
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 2024-05-17
- GEM.wiki entry (further reading) — CC BY-SA 4.0 — linked, not quoted