Young woman with fuel pin from prototype nuclear reactor

Sep. 09, 1971 - Prototype Reactor Being Completed At Dounreay: The 35 million prototype fast breeder reactor - the most advanced nuclear reactor in the world, is being completed at Dounreay, Caithness, Scotland. Evolved from 15 years of research, the plutonium-fuelled plant will produce 250 megawatts, compared with the 14 megawatt test bed reactor started at Dounreay in 1959. Testing and commissioning is now planned for early next year, the reactor will go critical by the end of 1972 and the first power will be delivered to the grid at the beginning of 1973. A major factor is that it breeds more plutonium than it requires as fuel. There is an extensive foreign interest and visiting journalists from many countries were told yesterday that the fast breeder reactor opens a new era of cheap, abundant electricity. Photo shows 18-year old Pauline Murray, of Thurso, holding a single fuel pin, part of the reactor fuel element. This single fuel pin produces energy equivalent to 15, 000 tons of coal

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18-year Abundant Advanced Breeder Caithness Cheap Commissioning Compared Critical Delivered Element Equivalent Evolved Extensive Factor Fuelled Grid Journalists Pauline Planned Plutonium Produce Produces Reactor Requires Thurso Told Tons

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