Top 10 Best Nuclear Power Countries
Nuclear power provides about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity. Also, more than 150 naval vessels using nuclear propulsion have been built.
1) United States (104 Reactors)
As of 2008, nuclear power in the United States is provided by 104 commercial reactors (69 pressurized water reactors and 35 boiling water reactors) licensed to operate at 65 nuclear power plants, producing a total of 806.2 TWh of electricity, which was 19.6% of the nation's total electric energy generation in 2008, Which makes them the world's largest supplier of commercial nuclear power.
2) France (58 Reactors)
Nuclear power is the primary source of electric power in France. In 2004, 425.8 TWh out of the country's total production of 540.6 TWh of electricity was from nuclear power (78.8%), the highest percentage in the world.
France is also the world's largest net exporter of electric power, exporting 18% of its total production (about 100 TWh) to Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Britain, and Germany, and its electricity cost is among the lowest in Europe.
3) Japan (54 Reactors)
Nuclear energy was a national strategic priority in Japan, The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant was completely shut down for 21 months following an earthquake in 2007. Following an earthquake, tsunami, and the failure of cooling systems at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant on March 11, 2011, a nuclear emergency was declared. This was the first time a nuclear emergency had been declared in Japan, and 140,000 residents within 20 km of the plant were evacuated
On 6 May 2011, Prime Minister Naoto Kan ordered the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant be shut down as an earthquake of magnitude 8.0 or higher is likely to hit the area within the next 30 years. Kan wanted to avoid a possible repeat of the Fukushima disaster. As of June 2011, Japan is running 19 of 54 reactors in operation before the Fukushima disaster, raising "the risk of serious power shortages into 2012".
4) Russia (32 Reactors)
In 2005 total electricity generated in nuclear power plants in Russia was 137 TWh, 16% of all power generation. The installed capacity of Russian nuclear reactors stood at 21,244 MW. Russia has made plans to increase the number of reactors in operation from 32 to 59. Old reactors will be maintained and upgraded, including RBMK units similar to the reactors at Chernobyl.
5) Korea, South (21 Reactors)
The total electrical generation capacity of the nuclear power plants of South Korea is over 17.5 GWe. This is 28.5% of South Korea's total electrical generation capacity, but 45% of total electrical consumption. The South Korean nuclear power sector maintains capacity factors of over 95%. Twelve more reactors are scheduled to come on stream in the period 2010 to 2021, adding 15.2 GWe in total. Construction is underway as of 2007.
6) India (20 Reactors)
Nuclear power is the fourth-largest source of electricity in India after thermal, hydroelectric and renewable sources of electricity. As of 2010, India has 20 nuclear reactors in operation in six nuclear power plants, generating 4,780 MW, while 5 other plants are under construction and are expected to generate an additional 2,720 MW.
7) United Kingdom (19 Reactors)
Nuclear power currently generates around a sixth of the United Kingdom's electricity. As of 2011, the United Kingdom operates 19 nuclear reactors at nine locations. The United Kingdom's first commercial nuclear power reactor began operating in 1956 and, at its peak in 1997, 26% of the nation's electricity was generated from nuclear power. Since then a number of stations have closed and the share had declined to 19.26% by 2004 and approximately 16% by 2009.
8) Canada (18 Reactors)
Nuclear power in Canada produces about 15% of Canada's electricity as of 2009. The nuclear industry (as distinct from the uranium industry) in Canada dates back to 1942 when a joint British-Canadian laboratory, the Montreal Laboratory, was set up in Montreal, Quebec, under the administration of the National Research Council of Canada, to develop a design for a heavy-water nuclear reactor. This reactor was called National Research Experimental and would be the most powerful research reactor in the world when completed.
9) Germany (17 Reactors)
Nuclear power in Germany produced about 28% of the country's electricity, while the share of the nuclear power in the electricity consumption in Germany was 23% before the ultimately permanent shutdown of 8 plants in March 2011. German nuclear power began with research reactors in the 1950s and 1960s with the first commercial plant coming online in 1969.
10) Ukraine (15 Reactors)
In 2007, nuclear power supplied 47.5% of Ukraine's electricity production of 195 billion kWh. The total installed capacity of nuclear reactors in Ukraine is over 13 GWe. Ukraine is one of Europe’s largest energy consumers, it consumes almost double the energy of Germany, per unit of GDP. A great share of energy supply in Ukraine comes from nuclear power, with the country receiving most of its nuclear fuel from Russia.
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