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Niederaichbach nuclear power plant 1

Retired Germany
Gross capacity
106MW

Niederaichbach nuclear power plant 1 is a pressurised heavy water reactor unit at Niederaichbach nuclear power plant in Germany rated at 106 MW gross. It is retired. Commercial operation began 1 Jan 1973.

Specification
Reactor type Pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR)
Modelpressure tube reactor
Size classLarge
CoolantHeavy water
ModeratorHeavy water
Gross capacity106MW
Net capacity (reference)100MW
Net capacity (design)100MW
Thermal output321MWt
Typical enrichmentNatural uranium, 0.71% U-235
Ownership & location
SiteNiederaichbach nuclear power plant
Unit1
CountryGermany
OwnerKarlsruhe Institute For Technology100%
OperatorKernkraftwerk Niederaichbach
Coordinates 48.6047, 12.3039
Fuel chain for this unit
Fuel form
Natural uranium dioxide bundles
Enrichment
Natural uranium, 0.71% U-235 no enrichment required
Who makes this assembly
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.

Conversion
CamecoCNNCConverDynOranoRosatom
Fabricator capability is recorded against reactor type and model line, not against named units — utilities do not publish fuel contracts.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. 1 Jun 1966Construction start
  2. 1 Jan 1973Commercial operation
  3. 31 Jul 1974Permanent shutdown

Sources