Heavy water makes heavy weather

Not often is a process plant built that does not work at all, but it can happen and it has happened. A case history of the Glace Bay Heavy Water Plant in Canada is presented. Canada chose to use natural uranium for the production of electricity using nuclear power, with heavy water as the moderator. The Glace Bay Heavy Water Plant was put in operation in 1960. Only now, some 20 years later, is production approaching more than half that originally planned. The original budget was some US $33 million, with completion scheduled for 1967. Production was finally achieved, at but 20% of the original design capacity, some ten years later, in 1976. The lessons learned during the time of construction and initial operation are discussed.