How Much Do You Know About Nuclear Power Plants?

A nuclear power plant is an industrial site that produces electricity using nuclear reactors.
The energy comes from the fission of heavy atom nuclei, which produces heat that is used to generate electricity.
There are approximately 250 nuclear power plants in the world, with a total of 439 operational reactors and 57 under construction.
Nuclear power plants produced 10% of the world's electricity in 2020.
The first nuclear power plant to produce electricity was the Experimental Breeder Reactor I in the US in 1951.
The power of nuclear plants increased rapidly from the 1960s to the 1980s, reaching 300 GW by the end of the decade.
The Chernobyl disaster in 1986 led to a decrease in the construction of new reactors and a shift towards renewable energy sources.
The Fukushima disaster in 2011 led to a further decrease in nuclear power production and some countries announcing their exit from nuclear energy.
Currently, China has the most nuclear reactors under construction, with 18.
The International Energy Agency predicts that the share of nuclear power in electricity production will increase to 12% by 2040, with a shift towards the East.
The number of nuclear reactors in operation is lower than in 2010, with fewer new reactors being built.
In 2014 and 2015, there were only a few new reactor constructions, mostly in China.
Many construction projects are experiencing delays, particularly third-generation reactors.
Rosatom has a backlog of orders for reactors, but financing is difficult, so they are seeking partnerships with Western suppliers.
As of December 2022, there are 422 reactors in operation, 17 suspended, and 57 under construction.
Nuclear power accounts for 10.3% of global electricity production, with the US, France, China, Russia, and South Korea being the main producers.
The Asia-Pacific region is expected to see the largest increase in nuclear power capacity by 2035.
Uranium resources are sufficient for over 135 years, but this projection is uncertain due to the development of alternative technologies and the approaching peak uranium.
The lifespan of many reactors is being extended, but 200 of the 434 reactors currently in operation will be dismantled by 2040.
The future of nuclear power depends on factors such as cost, public acceptance, and the development of alternative technologies.
The oldest operating nuclear reactor is the Beznau nuclear power plant in Switzerland, which has been in service since 1969.
Nuclear power plants consist of multiple reactors, each with its own set of installations designed to provide a specific amount of electrical power.
There are different types of nuclear reactors, categorized by their technology and generation.
A pressurized water reactor (PWR) is the only type of reactor currently in use in France.
Nuclear power plants operate similarly to traditional thermal power plants, but use nuclear fuel to produce heat instead of fossil fuels.
A PWR has three independent water circuits: the primary circuit, secondary circuit, and cooling circuit.
The primary circuit includes the reactor, control rods, fuel, and pressurizer, and is responsible for extracting thermal energy from the fuel and transporting it to the secondary circuit.
The secondary circuit includes the steam generator, turbine, and condenser, and is responsible for converting the thermal energy into mechanical energy to drive the generator.
The cooling circuit is responsible for dissipating the excess heat generated by the plant.
Floating nuclear power plants are a newer technology that could potentially be safer and more cost-effective than traditional land-based plants, and are being developed by countries such as Russia and China.
Nuclear power plants require a constant "cold source" to evacuate the thermal energy not transformed into mechanical energy.
The cooling water is exchanged directly with the sea, a river, or a stream.
A small amount of water is evaporated and condensed, producing a visible white plume.
The cooling water can bring organisms that can degrade or limit the cooling capacity, so filters and biocides are used to limit the risk.
The energy produced by the turbine is converted into electrical energy and transported by the grid.
The performance of the reactors is measured by their load factor, which compares the actual electricity produced to the theoretical maximum.
The load factor has improved over time, with more than half of the reactors operating at over 85% load factor.
The average lifespan of a nuclear reactor is 60 years, with a periodic visit every 10 years to confirm safety levels.
The USA has extended the operating life of most of its reactors to 60 years and has published guidelines for renewing licenses up to 80 years.
The spent fuel can be reprocessed and reused in nuclear power plants.