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The early days of CANDU reactors
TBT: The early days of CANDU reactors
https://www.ans.org/members/nn/pdf/issue-2417/issuepage-90/#page=92
Canadian Nuclear Association president F. McRae standing beside a Douglas Point reactor model
As reported earlier this week, China’s Qinshan-1 near Shanghai was taken off line on May 1 after 738 days of continuous operation, marking a new world record for the longest uninterrupted run of a CANDU-6 reactor. It’s safe to say that the technology has come a long way, but where did it begin?
The creators: CANDU is short for Canada deuterium uranium; it is a Canadian-designed pressurized heavy water reactor that is cooled and moderated with deuterium.
Canada began work on the reactor design in the late 1950s. By June 1962, the design was used to build the Nuclear Power Demonstration (NPD), the first Canadian nuclear power reactor that was to be a prototype of future large-scale systems. Rated at 22 MWe, it was built by GE Canada (then Canadian General Electric) with help from Atomic Energy of Canada Limited and Ontario Power Generation.
The next step: After the NPD proved the feasibility of the CANDU reactor, Canada quickly invested in a larger scale 200-MWe reactor. Built in Kincardine, Ontario, Douglas Point was Canada’s first full-scale nuclear power plant.
In 1964, Nuclear News predicted that Douglas Point would be up and running by 1965. In fact, it wouldn’t be until 1966 that the reactor first reached criticality, 1967 that it first sent power to the grid, and 1968 that it was finally commissioned and began regular operation, kicking off the start of Canada’s full-fledged nuclear age.
The takeaway: Douglas Point was plagued with problems. It was generally unreliable, suffering from water leakage issues, frequent shutdowns, and expensive repairs. It was off line more than half of the time between 1968 and 1971. Despite that, investment continued. Iterative improvements in design made systems more reliable and affordable, and the reactor design spread throughout the world.
Canada’s first reactor design—albeit an improved version—is still setting records today. Despite early roadblocks and setbacks, the technology proved invaluable in the end.
Go deeper: To read more of the ANS’s earliest thoughts on CANDU reactors just as the technology was emerging, see pages 76 and 77 of the October 1964 issue of Nuclear News here. (members only)
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
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