The Chinon Nuclear Power Plant (French: Centrale nucléaire de Chinon) is near the town of Avoine in the French Indre et Loire département, on the Loire river (approximately 10km from the town of Chinon). The power station has seven reactors, of which three are now closed.

The nuclear power station employs approximately 1,350 full time workers. The operator is the French company Électricité de France (EDF).

The site housed three of the first generation of French plants of a Magnox-type (UNGG) design. Since then, four of the first French PWR series have been built. The site uses four cooling towers that were built with a low profile for the specific purpose of not blocking the views of the Loire.

The Chinon Nuclear Power Plant is on the large side for a French plant. It feeds approximately 6% of the national electricity demand of France.

Chinon Nuclear Power Plant Reactors
Unit Type Net power Total power Construction start Commercial operation Shut down
Chinon A1 Magnox-Reactor 70 MW 80 MW 01.02.1957 01.02.1964 16.04.1973
Chinon A2 Magnox-Reactor 210 MW 230 MW 01.08.1959 24.02.1965 14.06.1985
Chinon A3 Magnox-Reactor 480 MW 480 MW 01.03.1961 04.08.1966 15.06.1990
Chinon B1 PWR 905 MW 954 MW 01.03.1977 01.02.1984 2024 planned
Chinon B2 PWR 905 MW 954 MW 01.03.1977 01.08.1984 2024 planned
Chinon B3 PWR 905 MW 954 MW 01.10.1980 04.03.1987 2027 planned
Chinon B4 PWR 905 MW 954 MW 01.02.1981 01.04.1988 2028 planned

Chinon Nuclear Power Plant
Data
Country France
Operator EDF
Built 1957
Start of commercial operation February 1, 1964
Reactors
Reactors active 4 (3,816 MW)
Reactors shut down 3 (790 MW)
Power
Total power generation in 2006 23,925 GW·h
Average annual generation (last 5 yrs) 24,056 GW·h
Net generation 555,762 GW·h

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