Carolinas-Virginia Tube Reactor

Carolinas-Virginia Tube Reactor (CVTR) was an experimental pressurized tube heavy water nuclear power reactor at Parr, South Carolina in Fairfield County. It was built and operated by the Carolinas Virginia Nuclear Power Associates.

Construction started in 1960. It was built to test the concept of a heavy water moderated and cooled reactor for civilian power. It had a thermal output of about 65 MW and an electrical output of about 17 MW. It had an oil-fired superheater to upgrade the quality of the steam. The reactor and facilities were located just to the northeast of the existing hydropower dam across the Broad River on a high bluff that overlooks the dam powerhouse. The much larger and currently operational V.C. Summer nuclear plant is located approximately three miles north of the CVTR.

It operated from 1963 to 1967. It was shut down after the completion of the test program.

The CVTR has been decommissioned and its license was withdrawn. No fuel remains onsite. As of fall 2007, demolition of the site was in progress with the Containment building and other major structures still standing though largely void of equipment.

External References

[http://canteach.candu.org/library/D407_scr1.pdf "Heavy Water Reactors: Status and Projected Development", IAEA Technical Report No. 407] CVTR is described on pp. 52 - 55.

[http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/decommissioning.pdf Decomissioning Nuclear Power Plants]