Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project
The Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project was a nuclear reactor project that aimed to build the USA's first large-scale demonstration breeder reactor plant. It was led by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (and a successor agency, the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA), and subsequently the U.S. Department of Energy). The project was opposed by President Carter.
| Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project | |
|---|---|
Architect's conception of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Oak Ridge, Tennessee |
| Coordinates | 35°53′24″N 84°22′57″W |
| Status | Cancelled |
| Owner(s) | United States Department of Energy |
| Operator(s) | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Nuclear power station | |
| Reactor type | SFR |
| Reactor supplier | Westinghouse Electric Corporation |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Plutonium |
| Cooling source | Clinch River |
| Thermal capacity | 975 MW |
| Power generation | |
| Units cancelled | 1 |
| Nameplate capacity | 350 MW |
| External links | |
| Commons | Related media on Commons |
The project was intended as a prototype and demonstration for building a class of such reactors, called Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors (LMFBR), in the United States. The project was first authorized in 1970. After initial appropriations were provided in 1972, work continued until the U.S. Congress terminated funding on October 26, 1983. The project was seen to be "unnecessary and wasteful".