2.2.4 The world’s nuclear power stations
In January 2015, 30 countries worldwide were operating 437 nuclear reactors for electricity generation and 71 new nuclear plants are under construction in 15 countries. Nuclear power plants provided 12.3% of the world’s electricity production in 2012 according to the Nuclear Energy Institute.
Activity 2
Find out for yourself the distribution of nuclear power stations across the world and what type of reactors they are using via the Global Nuclear Power Tracker [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] (Global Energy Monitor, 2024). Read about the information gathered by the tracker, then click to view the Interactive Map.
- Find a power station that is planned or under construction. What type of reactor will be used?
- At a glance, estimate which countries have the most nuclear reactors under construction.
- Contrast the situation between France and Italy. Why do you think that the situation differs between these two countries?
Next, you’ll move on to think about nuclear waste.