History of Nuclear Power Plant

1940’s
1942: World’s first nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile 1 (CP1), achieved criticality.
1944: World’s first plutonium production reactor operational in Hanford, USA.

1950’s
1951: World’s first nuclear electricity generation with EBR-1 (FBR) in Idaho, USA.
1954: World’s first nuclear power submarine, USS Nautilus, launched by the USA & world’s first nuclear power plant (LWGR) operational at Obninsk in Russia.
1956: First UK nuclear power plant (Magnox), Calder Hall, operational in Sell afield & first nuclear power plant (similar to Magnox) operational in France.
1957: First US nuclear power plant (PWR) operational in Shippingport.
1959: World’s first nuclear powered merchant ship, NS Savannah, launched in USA.

1960’s
1960: First BWR nuclear power plant operational in Dresden, USA.
1961: World’s first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise, launched.
1962: First CANDU PHWR nuclear power plant operational in Canada.
1965: World’s first nuclear powered satellite, SNAP-10A, launched into orbit by USA.

1970’s
1972: World’s first prototype fast breeder reactor (FBR) power plant, BN-350, operational in Shevchenko, Kazakhstan, in former Soviet Union.
1979: Three Mile Island II nuclear power plant (PWR) accident in Pennsylvania, USA.

1980’s
1986: Chernobyl nuclear power plant (LWGR) accident in Ukraine, former Soviet Union.

1990’s
1997: First third generation nuclear power plant (Advanced BWR) operational, in Kashiwazaki Kariwa, Japan.