Cattenom Nuclear Power Plant, Nuclear power plant in Cattenom, France
Cattenom Nuclear Power Plant is an electricity-generating facility with four pressurized water reactors situated along the Moselle River between Thionville and Trier. The reactors use river water and nearby lakes to cool steam systems and produce electrical power.
Construction of the facility began in 1979, with reactor units added over the following decades and the final one reaching operation in 1991. This gradual expansion made it one of France's larger nuclear energy production sites.
The plant serves as a significant employer in the area, providing jobs for hundreds of people living in the surrounding region. It plays an important role in the local economy and shapes the character of the communities nearby.
The site is large and requires time to explore, especially if viewing different reactor areas and cooling systems. Using the public information center is the best way to understand how the facility operates and what visitors can safely access.
A large lake created specifically for cooling the power plant has become a notable landscape feature where visitors can observe how nuclear energy infrastructure shapes water systems. The artificially created lake demonstrates the large-scale engineering required to support reactor operations.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
