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The Development of Nuclear Energy in the World

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Book cover Sustainable and Safe Nuclear Fission Energy

Part of the book series: Power Systems ((POWSYS))

Abstract

In 2011 there were about 436 commercial nuclear power reactors operating in the world with a total capacity of 370 GW(e). Nuclear energy supplied about 16% of the world electricity. The countries with the largest nuclear energy generating capacities were the USA, France, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, Canada, Ukraine, China, Spain. About 81% of the operating nuclear reactors were light water cooled and moderated reactors. About 11% were pressurized heavy water moderated reactors and about 3.4% graphite moderated and gas cooled reactors. Another about 4% light water cooled and graphite moderated reactors of the Chernobyl type were still operating in Russia. The remaining 0.6% were new prototype power reactors. Besides the use of nuclear power for electricity generation, wider application directly using the nuclear heat as process heat with temperatures of about 800\({^{\circ }}\mathrm{ C}\) (gas cooled reactors) is possible in future. In the past BN 350 situated on the shore of the Caspian Sea was already used as a dual purpose plant, supplying in addition to electricity (150 MW(e)) also fresh water (120,000 m\(^{3}\)/d) by desalination. The economic advantages of nuclear power is based on the relatively low fuel cycle costs. However, nuclear power plants have capital costs higher than those of e.g. fossil fired power plants, but a much more pronounced cost degression for larger units. Nuclear power avoids to a large extent the emission of CO\(_{2}\), SO\(_{2}\), NO\(_\mathrm{ x}\) and also particulate emissions.

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© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Kessler, G. (2012). The Development of Nuclear Energy in the World. In: Sustainable and Safe Nuclear Fission Energy. Power Systems. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11990-3_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11990-3_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-11989-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-11990-3

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