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A Concise History of the Nuclear Industry Worldwide

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Nuclear or Not?

Part of the book series: Energy, Climate and the Environment Series ((ECE))

Abstract

At the start of 2006, there were 441 nuclear power reactors in operation around the world, with a combined electrical capacity of about 370 gigawatts (GW), producing around 2600 terawatt-hours (TWh) per year or roughly 16% of world electricity demand. About one-third of this capacity is found in North America, and one-third in the European Union. Having outlined the basic science of nuclear energy in the previous chapter, the following sets the scene for the subsequent discussion of whether or not the nuclear contribution to electricity supply should be expanded, by describing briefly how the existing civil nuclear programme unfolded around the world.

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© 2007 Jonathan Scurlock

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Scurlock, J. (2007). A Concise History of the Nuclear Industry Worldwide. In: Elliott, D. (eds) Nuclear or Not?. Energy, Climate and the Environment Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230279346_3

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