AECL has announced the launch of its 700 MWe Advanced Candu Reactor (ACR-700), which is expected to be market ready by 2005.
AECL it is currently working on the 1000 MWe ACR-1000. According to AECL, the ACR design has the advantages of Candu's proven features such as on-power refuelling and flexible fuel cycle options. AECL has also said that the ACR (formerly known as NG) has features that will reduce the capital cost of building a Candu plant by up to 40 per cent. These include: compact core design, reducing core size by half for the same power output; light water reactor coolant: improved thermal efficiency through higher pressure steam turbines; reduced heavy water use (to one quarter of the requirement of existing plants) and cost; fuel life extended to three times that of existing natural uranium fuel through the use of slightly enriched uranium oxide fuel in Canflux bundles, which also reduces spent fuel volume; and modular, pre-fabricated construction.
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