NUCLEAR POWER AROUND THE WORLD

Consider the following points to understand the position of Nuclear Energy around the world –

• Nuclear energy is going to be the next super energy of the world because of its efficiency.
• At present, not many, but about 31 countries are involved in developing nuclear energy.

• There are about 440 nuclear reactors, which are producing energy for commercial purposes.
• Nuclear energy provides about 14 percent of the world’s total electricity requirements.
• The United States of America is the largest producer of nuclear energy, as it generates about one-third of world’s total, and France is the second largest producer
• In terms of percentage of share in total domestic electricity generation, France is the largest generator of nuclear energy.
• In France, nuclear energy shares about 72 percent of the total domestic energy production.

IMPORTANT POINTS ABOUT NUCLEAR POWER IN INDIA

Consider the following points about Nuclear Power in India –

• Nuclear power in India is the fourth-largest source of electricity after thermal, hydroelectric, and renewable sources (of electricity).
• India has 22 nuclear reactors operating in 8 nuclear power plants.
• The total installed capacity of nuclear power in India is 6780 MW. This produces 30,292.91 GWh of electricity.
• 6 reactors are under construction, which are expected to produce an additional 4,300 MW electricity.
• The Nuclear Power Plant of Jaitapur (located in Maharashtra) is planned to start in collaboration with France. It is a 9900 MW project.
• The Nuclear Power Plant of Kudankulam (located in Tamil Nadu) is an Indo-Russian collaboration. It is a 2000 MW project.
• The Apsara nuclear research reactor was India’s first nuclear reactor inaugurated in 1957. This was set up with assistance from the UK.
• India’s domestic uranium reserves are limited; hence, India imports uranium from Russia.
• Some other countries with which India has uranium supply agreements are Argentina, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Namibia.
• Furthermore, in 2011, the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) of India has discovered large deposits of uranium in Tummalapalle belt located in Bhima River basin in Karnataka.
• In this region, about 44,000 tones of natural uranium has been discovered.

NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS IN OPERATION

The following table lists down the functional nuclear power plants −

Nuclear Power Plants Under Construction

The following table lists down the nuclear power plants, which are under construction −

Planned Nuclear Power Plants

The following table lists down the planned nuclear power plant projects −