Nuclear power

Join the EI» Manage your membership»
Join the EI» Manage your membership»

Nuclear power is the second-largest source of low-carbon electricity today, supplying 10.5% of global electricity

Nuclear power is generated by a controlled chain reaction inside a nuclear reactor, most commonly in a process called nuclear fission. In fission, neutrons collide with uranium or plutonium atoms, causing the atoms to split and release additional neutrons and energy in the form of heat. This heat is used to convert water into steam, which drives turbines to produce electricity. A nuclear reactor was first used to produce electricity in the 1950s, in light of discoveries made through research efforts previously focused on developing nuclear weaponry. A series of commercial reactors for electricity production have since been developed. Today, nuclear power is gaining importance driven by the climate change agenda since it emits minimal greenhouse gases, at levels similar to renewable energy in terms of total life cycle emissions per unit of energy generated. Nuclear power projects are heavily dependent on government policy due to their capital-intensive nature, and are strictly regulated as they deal with radioactive materials.

Nuclear power is controversial in some locations due to these radioactive materials and the potential health hazards they pose. A number of destructive accidents have occurred in the history of nuclear power; these include the Chernobyl disaster in the Soviet Union in 1986 and the Fukushima disaster in Japan in 2011. Different nations have widely different visions for the deployment of nuclear power, ranging from France’s 75% dependence on nuclear power for electricity generation to Germany having announced decision to shut down all of its nuclear power plants by 2022. Another important aspect is the disposal of nuclear waste; spent fuel remains active for tens of thousands of years and a proven long-term solution for safely managing and disposing of this radioactive waste is yet to be developed. Although newer, safer and more efficient reactor designs are being constructed today, nuclear power has an uncertain future challenged by public acceptance, costs, fuel resource sustainability and nuclear waste management.

As a potentially safer and less waste-generating type of reaction than fission, nuclear fusion is an ongoing area of research. Several experimental reactors exist, but commercial-scale results remain far from realisation. Small modular reactors are also attracting interest, as they allow for greater flexibility with potential benefits particularly for developing countries with limited grid capacity.

Learn more about nuclear power by reading our Energy Insights.

For the latest news and articles on the transport sector read New Energy World.

Read energy professional's thoughts on the future of nuclear in our Energy Barometer.

What's new?

Japan begins release of Fukushima waste water to the sea

06/09/2023

Over a million tonnes of treated waste water, which was used to cool Fukushima’s nuclear reactors, has been stored at the site since it was severely d...

Read more »

Drop in demand drives EU fossil fuels towards all time low

06/09/2023

The new report notes that the fossil fuel fall was predominantly driven by a significant drop in electricity demand, amid persistently high gas and po...

Read more »

US to lease former atomic lands for clean energy projects

09/08/2023

Under the ‘Cleanup to Clean Energy’ initiative, the DOE will work with a range of stakeholders to explore opportunities to lease Federal land for the ...

Read more »

Urgent call to streamline the UK’s electricity grid system

09/08/2023

Although the UK has been ‘successful’ in stimulating investment in generation from renewables in recent decades, this has not been matched with invest...

Read more »

Power sector decarbonisation is key to unlocking Japan’s energy transition

02/08/2023

Japan’s transition to a net zero economy by 2050 offers a $6.7tn investment opportunity, according to the New Energy Outlook: Japan report from Bloomb...

Read more »

Events and training

Human Factors Foundation - October 2023

02/10/2023 - 06/10/2023

This 5-day course delivers a comprehensive introduction into human factors for non-specialists. It provides a practical, engaging and interactive back...

Read more »

Energy Sustainability Conference 2023

13/11/2023 - 14/11/2023

The Energy Institute (EI) Nigeria branch is proud to host another edition of the Energy Sustainability Conference (ESC). Energy Sustainability Confere...

Read more »

EI LIVE | Ageing Offshore Structures and Life Extension

21/11/2023 - 22/11/2023

This two half-day online course will give you an understanding of managing ageing and life extension of structures for offshore oil and gas installati...

Read more »

Technical guidance publications

Guidance on quantified human reliability analysis (QHRA)

2022

This document is free to download for all registered users of this site.EI Guidance on quantified human reliability analysis (QHRA) (second edition) p...

Read more »

Guidance on ensuring control room operator (CRO) competence

2022

This publication is free to download for registered users.Control room operators (CROs) perform a critical role in running normal operations, infreque...

Read more »

Research report: Modelling toxic hazards of sour water releases – consolidated knowledge of sour water releases physics and chemistry

2022

The EI's Process Safety Committee (PSC) has identified that many petroleum refinery and gas separation plant process operations generate aqueous solut...

Read more »

Engaging contractors: Partnership approaches to improving safety in the power industry

2022

This publication was developed in response to demand from operators and contractors within the power generation sector, recognising that the safe and ...

Read more »

Research report: Achieving greater resilience to major events – Organisational learning for safety risk management in complex environments

2021

This document is free to download for registered users.This report has been split into the following three sections:Part 1: Cultural precursors to maj...

Read more »

You may also be interested in

Energy Insight: Hinkley Point C - progress in UK new nuclear?

This Energy Insight aims to show how Hinkley Point C has got to where it is now.

Energy Insight: Nuclear - world nuclear power generation and capacity

This Energy Insight presents data and analysis of world nuclear generation and capacity.