List of the most powerful nuclear reactors
The list of the most powerful nuclear reactors shows the nuclear reactors with the greatest electrical net power since the economic introduction of nuclear technology in 1954. The two reactor blocks of the Chinese Taishan nuclear power plant currently have the largest net output with 1,660 MW and 1,750 MW also the largest gross output.
Blocks Olkiluoto -3 and Flamanville-3 , which are currently under construction, will follow in the coming years and occupy positions 3 and 4.
Explanation
The following information is given:
- Name : Name of the nuclear power plant with the number of the reactor block (for power plants with several blocks)
- Country : Current location of the nuclear power plant
- Reactor type : type of nuclear reactor
- Net power in MW : gross power after deducting self-consumption, i.e. the power in megawatts that was fed into the grid. Performance data that have already been exceeded before are marked in italics.
- from point in time : point in time from which the power was supplied to the power grid. In many cases the power of the nuclear reactor has changed up or down over time. While the time of the first network synchronization is usually known exactly to the day, only the year is known in the event of changes in performance. If there are several reactors, the time of synchronization of the first reactor is given.
Reactors that are still in operation are highlighted in yellow.
Worldwide
The first commercially used nuclear power plant was in Obninsk, Russia . Since then, the net output of nuclear power plants has increased three hundredfold in 50 years. Between 1960 and 1964 and between 1967 and 1974 the world's most powerful nuclear power plant was in the United States, between 1974 and 1983 and between 1993 and 1996 in Germany and between 1996 and 2018 in France. Since December 2018, the first block of the Taishan nuclear power plant in the People's Republic of China, the first EPR in commercial operation, has been the most powerful reactor in the world.
The currently ten strongest reactor units in the world (as of January 2020)
space | Reactor block | Country | Reactor type | Construction line | electrical power | thermal
Reactor power |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
net | Gross | ||||||
1 | Taishan 1 | People's Republic of China | Pressurized water reactor | EPR | 1,660 MW | 1,750 MW | 4,590 MW |
1 | Taishan 2 | People's Republic of China | Pressurized water reactor | EPR | 1,660 MW | 1,750 MW | 4,590 MW |
3 | Civaux 1 | France | Pressurized water reactor | Nouveau 4 (N4) | 1,495 MW | 1,561 MW | 4,270 MW |
3 | Civaux 2 | France | Pressurized water reactor | Nouveau 4 (N4) | 1,495 MW | 1,561 MW | 4,270 MW |
5 | Chooz B-1 | France | Pressurized water reactor | Nouveau 4 (N4) | 1,500 MW | 1,560 MW | 4,270 MW |
5 | Chooz B-2 | France | Pressurized water reactor | Nouveau 4 (N4) | 1,500 MW | 1,560 MW | 4,270 MW |
7th | Grand Gulf 1 | United States | Boiling water reactor | BWR-6 | 1,401 MW | 1,500 MW | 4,408 MW |
8th | Shin-Kori 3 | South Korea | Pressurized water reactor | APR-1400 | 1,416 MW | 1,486 MW | 3,983 MW |
9 | Isar 2 | Germany | Pressurized water reactor | KWU construction line '80 | 1,410 MW | 1,485 MW | 3,950 MW |
10 | Brokdorf | Germany | Pressurized water reactor | KWU building line '3 | 1,410 MW | 1,480 MW | 3,900 MW |
Most powerful reactors over the years
Reactor block | Country | Reactor type | Net power in MW when commissioning |
from time |
---|---|---|---|---|
Obninsk 1 | Soviet Union | Boiling water pressure tube reactor | 5 | 06/26/1954 |
Calder Hall 1-4 | United Kingdom | Magnox reactor | 50 | 08/27/1956 |
Shippingport | United States | Pressurized water reactor | 60 | 12/02/1957 |
Dresden 1 | United States | Boiling water reactor | 197 | 04/15/1960 |
Indian Point 1 | United States | Pressurized water reactor | 257 | 09/16/1962 |
Enrico Fermi (Trino) | Italy | Pressurized water reactor | 260 | 10/22/1964 |
Quinone A3 | France | UNGG reactor | 480 | 08/04/1966 |
Haddam Neck | United States | Pressurized water reactor | 560 | 08/07/1967 |
Oyster Creek | United States | Boiling water reactor | 619 | 09/23/1969 |
Dresden 2 | United States | Boiling water reactor | 804 815 |
04/13/1970 1971 |
Quad Cities 1 | United States | Boiling water reactor | 829 | 04/12/1972 |
Indian Point 2 | United States | Pressurized water reactor | 897 | 06/26/1973 |
Zion 1 | United States | Pressurized water reactor | 946 | 06/28/1973 |
Browns Ferry 1/2 | United States | Boiling water reactor | 998 | 10/15/1973 |
Biblis A | Germany | Pressurized water reactor | 1,158 1,146 |
08/25/1974 1975 |
Biblis B | Germany | Pressurized water reactor | 1,193 1,178 |
04/06/1976 1977 |
Lower Weser | Germany | Pressurized water reactor | 1,271 1,230 |
09/29/1978 1979 |
Neckarwestheim 2 | Germany | Pressurized water reactor | 1.310 | 04/15/1989 |
Ignalina 1/2 | Soviet Union | Boiling water pressure tube reactor | 1,380 | December 31, 1983 |
Grohnde | Germany | Pressurized water reactor |
1,349 1,360 |
1995
1996 |
Philippsburg 2 | Germany | Pressurized water reactor | 1,336 | 1994 |
Isar 2 | Germany | Pressurized water reactor | 1,410 | 04/09/1988 |
Gundremmingen C | Germany | Boiling water reactor | 1,288 | January 18, 1985 |
Gundremmingen B. | Germany | Boiling water reactor | 1,284 |
07/19/1984
1993 |
Chooz B1 / B2 | France | Pressurized water reactor | 1,455 1,500 |
08/30/1996 2003 |
Taishan 1/2 | People's Republic of China | Pressurized water reactor | 1,660 | December 13, 2018 |
Africa
The only nuclear power plant in Africa is the South African Koeberg nuclear power plant . Since 1984, its two units have been delivering a net output of 920 MW each in regular operation.
Surname | country | Reactor type | Net power in MW |
from time |
---|---|---|---|---|
Koeberg 1/2 | South Africa | Pressurized water reactor | 920 | 04/04/1984 |
Asia
With one exception, the Indian Tarapur nuclear power plant , the most powerful nuclear reactor in Asia was always in Japan until 2018. Since the experimental Japan Power Demonstration Reactor was commissioned in 1963, the Japanese reactors have been able to keep up well with the European and American reactors. Reactor block 5 in the Hamaoka nuclear power plant was the most powerful in Asia with an initial net output of 1325 MW, but had to be throttled to 1212 MW in 2007 due to technical problems. Since December 2018, the first block of the Taishan nuclear power plant in the People's Republic of China has been the most powerful reactor in Asia and worldwide.
Surname | country | Reactor type | Net power in MW |
from time |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPDR | Japan | Boiling water reactor | 12 | 10/26/1963 |
Tōkai 1 | Japan | Magnox reactor | 166 | 11/10/1965 |
Tarapur 1/2 | India | Boiling water reactor | 210 | 04/01/1969 |
Tsuruga 1 | Japan | Boiling water reactor | 341 | 11/16/1969 |
Fukushima-Daiichi 1 | Japan | Boiling water reactor | 460 | 11/17/1970 |
Mihama 2 | Japan | Pressurized water reactor | 492 | 04/21/1972 |
Fukushima-Daiichi 2 | Japan | Boiling water reactor | 760 | December 24, 1973 |
Takahama 1/2 | Japan | Pressurized water reactor | 780 | 03/27/1974 |
Ōi (Ohi) 1/2 | Japan | Pressurized water reactor | 1,120 | December 23, 1977 |
Ōi (Ohi) 3/4 | Japan | Pressurized water reactor | 1,127 | 06/07/1991 |
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa 6/7 | Japan | Boiling water reactor | 1,315 | 01/29/1996 |
Hamaoka 5 | Japan | Boiling water reactor | 1,325 | 04/26/2004 |
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa 6/7 | Japan | Boiling water reactor | 1,315 | 2007 |
Taishan 1/2 | People's Republic of China | Pressurized water reactor | 1,660 | December 13, 2018 |
Europe
Since the commissioning of the first commercial nuclear power plant in Obninsk , the most powerful nuclear reactor in Europe has been located alternately in Russia and Western Europe. The British reactor Dungeness A1 only had an output of 220 MW until 1969, when its output was increased to 570 MW, making it the most powerful reactor in Europe. In the seventies and mid-1990s, Germany provided the most powerful reactor. The two phases were interrupted by the Lithuanian Ignalina nuclear power plant , whose output was throttled in 1993 from 1380 MW to 1185 MW. The most powerful nuclear reactors in Europe are currently in France.
Surname | country | Reactor type | Net power in MW |
from time |
---|---|---|---|---|
Obninsk 1 | Soviet Union | Pressurized water pressure tube reactor | 5 | 06/26/1954 |
Calder Hall 1-4 | United Kingdom | Magnox reactor | 50 | 08/27/1956 |
Berkeley 1/2 | United Kingdom | Magnox reactor | 138 | 06/12/1962 |
Latina | Italy | Magnox reactor | 153 | 05/12/1963 |
Novovoronezh 1 | Soviet Union | Pressurized water reactor | 197 | 09/30/1964 |
Enrico Fermi (Trino) | Italy | Pressurized water reactor | 260 | 10/22/1964 |
Quinone A3 | France | UNGG reactor | 480 | 08/04/1966 |
Saint-Laurent A1 | France | UNGG reactor | 480 | 03/14/1969 |
Dungeness A1 | United Kingdom | Magnox reactor | 577 | 1970 |
Würgassen | Germany | Boiling water reactor | 640 | December 18, 1971 |
Stade | Germany | Pressurized water reactor | 662 630 |
29/01/1972 1973 |
Biblis A | Germany | Pressurized water reactor | 1,158 1,146 |
08/25/1974 1975 |
Biblis B | Germany | Pressurized water reactor | 1,193 1,178 |
04/06/1976 1977 |
Lower Weser | Germany | Pressurized water reactor | 1,271 1,230 |
09/29/1978 1979 |
Biblis B | Germany | Pressurized water reactor | 1,240 | 1980 |
Ignalina 1/2 | Soviet Union | Boiling water pressure tube reactor | 1,380 | December 31, 1983 |
Isar 2 | Germany | Pressurized water reactor | 1,390 | 1993 |
Philippsburg 2 | Germany | Pressurized water reactor | 1,336 | 1994 |
Grohnde | Germany | Pressurized water reactor |
1,349 1,360 |
1995 1996 |
Chooz B1 / B2 | France | Pressurized water reactor | 1,455 1,500 |
08/30/1996 2003 |
North America
The most powerful nuclear reactor in North America has always been in the United States . Since the first nuclear power plant , which was commissioned in 1957 with an output of 24 MW, the maximum output has increased rapidly, especially in the 1960s. Since 1985/1986 the two units of the Palo Verde nuclear power plant have been the most powerful. The performance data of the two reactor blocks have since fluctuated between 1221 MW and 1335 MW.
Surname | country | Reactor type | Net power in MW |
from time |
---|---|---|---|---|
Vallecitos | United States | Boiling water reactor | 24 | October 19, 1957 |
Shippingport | United States | Pressurized water reactor | 60 | 12/02/1957 |
Dresden 1 | United States | Boiling water reactor | 197 | 04/15/1960 |
Indian Point 1 | United States | Pressurized water reactor | 257 | 09/16/1962 |
San Onofre 1 | United States | Pressurized water reactor | 436 | 07/16/1967 |
Haddam Neck | United States | Pressurized water reactor | 560 | 08/07/1967 |
Oyster Creek | United States | Boiling water reactor | 619 | 09/23/1969 |
Dresden 2 | United States | Boiling water reactor | 804 815 |
04/13/1970 1971 |
Quad Cities 1 | United States | Boiling water reactor | 829 | 04/12/1972 |
Indian Point 2 | United States | Pressurized water reactor | 897 | 06/26/1973 |
Zion 1 | United States | Pressurized water reactor | 946 | 06/28/1973 |
Browns Ferry 1/2 | United States | Boiling water reactor | 998 | 10/15/1973 |
Peach Bottom 3 | United States | Boiling water reactor | 1,073 | 09/01/1974 |
Browns Ferry 1/2 | United States | Boiling water reactor | 1,065 | 1975 |
Salem 1 | United States | Pressurized water reactor | 1,104 1,079 |
December 25, 1976 1977 |
Sequoyah 1 | United States | Pressurized water reactor | 1,123 | 07/22/1980 |
McGuire 1 | United States | Pressurized water reactor | 1,180 | 1982 |
Grand Gulf 1 | United States | Boiling water reactor | 1,192 | 10/20/1984 |
Palo Verde 1 | United States | Pressurized water reactor | 1,270 | 06/10/1985 |
Palo Verde 1/2 | United States | Pressurized water reactor |
1,221 1,243 1,335 1,314 |
1986 1997 2004 2006 |
South America
The first nuclear power plant in South America, Atucha , went on stream in Argentina in 1974 with an output of 321 MW. In the following years, its reactor output varied between 319 MW and 345 MW, until it was replaced by the Brazilian nuclear power plant Angra with an output of 626 MW. The currently most powerful nuclear reactor in South America is the Angra 2 reactor . After the reactor block was commissioned in 2000 with an output of 1350 MW, the output was reduced to 1275 MW in 2002. The Brazilian government is currently planning another Angra 3 reactor block with the same output.
Surname | country | Reactor type | Net power in MW |
from time |
---|---|---|---|---|
Atucha 1 | Argentina | Heavy water pressure tube reactor | 321 319 336 345 335 |
March 19, 1974 1975 1977 1978 1979 |
Angra 1 | Brazil | Pressurized water reactor | 626 | 04/01/1982 |
Angra 2 | Brazil | Pressurized water reactor | 1,350 1,275 |
07/21/2000 2002 |
See also
- List of nuclear power plants
- List of the largest nuclear power plants
- List of nuclear reactors with the highest annual production
- Nuclear energy by country