The Advanced CANDU Reactor® (ACR-1000®) is an evolutionary, Generation III+, 1200 MWe class heavy water reactor, designed to meet industry and public expectations for safe, reliable, environmentally friendly and low-cost nuclear generation.
The ACR-1000 is the only Generation III+ reactor in the world to have completed Phase 3 of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s (CNSC) pre-project design review. In December 2010, the CNSC concluded there were no fundamental barriers to licensing the ACR-1000 in Canada.
The ACR-1000 provides further demonstration of the flexibility of the CANDU core by using light water reactor coolant and higher burnup LEU (low enriched uranium) fuel while retaining many essential features of the operating CANDU 6 plant design such as heavy water moderator and on-load refuelling. The engineering development of the ACR-1000 design has been accompanied by a research and confirmatory testing program.
The generic PSAR (Preliminary Safety Analysis Report) completed contains the ACR-1000 design details, the safety and design methodology, and the safety analysis that demonstrate the ACR-1000 safety case and compliance with Canadian and international regulatory requirements and expectations.
The ACR technology developed during the ACR-1000 Basic Engineering Program and the supporting development testing has extended the database of knowledge on the CANDU design. Features and technology developed from the ACR program have been incorporated into new CANDU designs such as the Enhanced Candu 6® (EC6®) and can be applied for maintenance of operating CANDU reactors.
The ACR-1000 development program has been completed to the point that the design is ready for bidding or for discussion with interested utilities.