Phénix, nuclear power plant
Phénix is a sodium-cooled fast reactor at the Marcoule nuclear site in Chusclan. The pool design uses liquid sodium for heat transfer and achieved a thermal output of about 590 megawatts.
Construction began in late 1968 and the reactor connected to the French power grid in December 1973. The project aimed to advance France's fuel cycle and operated on highly enriched plutonium.
The site is now in the decommissioning phase and is not open to the public. Information about fast breeder technology is available through nearby research centers and educational programs.
The reactor had to be shut down every two months for refueling, which required careful planning. During the 2000s it was mainly used for research on transmuting nuclear waste.
Location: Chusclan
Inception: November 1, 1968
Part of: Marcoule Nuclear Site
GPS coordinates: 44.14333,4.71167
Latest update: December 5, 2025 13:18
This collection brings together nuclear power plants that have shaped the history of civilian nuclear energy. Some experienced accidents that changed the world’s view of nuclear energy. Chernobyl in Ukraine remains a symbol of the 1986 disaster, while Fukushima in Japan showed the risks of natural events. Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania paused the building of new reactors in the US for many years. Other sites are among the largest in the world, like Kashiwazaki-Kariwa in Japan or Bruce in Canada. Many places are facing challenges today, such as the Zaporijia plant in Ukraine. The collection also includes projects that tried to push the technical limits of this energy. Superphénix in France and Monju in Japan explored new types of reactors, with mixed results. Some facilities, like Bataan in the Philippines, were never operational despite being fully built. Others, like Oyster Creek or Tokai, helped start nuclear work in their countries. From Siberia to the United Arab Emirates, from Canada to India, these sites tell stories about energy choices, technical progress, failures, and questions that have surrounded this source of power for more than sixty years.
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