ICJT.org - Nuclear Power Plants in the World

Nuclear power plants are an important source of electrical energy. At the moment there are more than 400 nuclear power plants (NPP) all over the world, which produce about 17% of the world's electricity. The share can range from just few percent in some countries up and to 75 % as in France. The Krško Nuclear Power Plant produces almost 40% of the electrical energy in Slovenia.

Krško Nuclear Power Plant

(www.nek.si)

The development of nuclear technology had a promising beginning in the 50s. As years went by the enthusiasm started to diminish. After the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl accidents it even turned into rejection. But nevertheless the percentage of nuclear energy production is constantly increasing as can be clearly seen from the diagram (power and number of the nuclear reactors in the world over the years). The diagram includes reactors that are currently used as well as all the reactors that are still under construction or seriously planned. It is very likely that in the next few years some new nuclear power plants will be constructed which means that the curve will continue growing even after the year 2015.

Different Types of Nuclear Power Plants

Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) differ from each other mostly by the type of nuclear reactor used.

The most common types of NPPs are:

Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR)

Boiling Water Reactor (BWR)

Gas Cooled Reactor (GCR) and Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor (AGR)

Light Water Cooled Graphite Moderated Reactor (LWGR) and

Pressurized Heavy Water Moderated Reactor (PHWR)

Types of NPP in the World

Basic facts about Nuclear Power Plants in the World

Number of operating NPPs in August 2008	439
First NPP	Obninsk, Russia, 1954
Most powerful NPP	Chooz, France, 1500 MW Ignalina, Lithuania, 1500 MW
Share of nuclear energy in world energy production	15%
Nuclear energy produced in 2006	2.658 TWh
Number of years of operation to January 2008	10,677
Number of countries with operating NPPs	30
Number of NPPs under construction (August 2008)	35
Number of NPPs that started operation in year 2007	3
Number of shut down NPPs	119
Number of decommissioned NPPs	17