Introduction
• Nuclear power is back on the menu for 20 countries as a potential base load generator
• In 2007 there are 442 nuclear power reactors in operation in 38 countries, with total generating capacity of 370,721 MW
• The first commercial nuclear power plant was commissioned in the UK in 1956 and by 2005 nuclear power provided 6.5% of the world’s primary energy consumption and 9% of electricity generation
• Nuclear power has not fulfilled early expectations and there was a brown out of nuclear power in the 1970s and 1980s, stations were shut down and several countries declared moratoria on it, for various reasons, not least being public safety fears
• Nuclear power has been bedevilled by political perceptions, but other sources of power are now being subjected to similar scrutiny
• The environmental fight against fossil fuels is heating up, and informed people are starting to ask questions about what renewables will be able to achieve
• Nuclear power stations are highly efficient, being operated at higher load factors than thermal or hydro stations
• Nuclear power generates almost zero GHG emissions
• The public has always been more afraid of nuclear power than the industry, and is largely unaware of the difference between the so-called “nuclear legacy” from the 1960s and 1970s, and the sophisticated “back-end” measures being engineered into modern nuclear plants

Report Scope
• The report looks at the global nuclear energy market, past, present and future
• It looks at the countries considering Nuclear Power
• It provides country profiles
• The statistics of nuclear energy and power
• The nuclear fuel cycle and supply
• The safety and environmental issues
• The history and economics
• The nuclear power utilities and nuclear power manufacturing companies are as listed
• As are the international associations and organisations
• The report provides a global overview and comprehensive data

Key Research Findings
• Many industrialised countries are facing a shortfall in base load power as existing fossil fuel and nuclear fleets reach the end of their lives
• Environmental awareness is giving nuclear a new impetus
• There are many uncertainties about the economics and future of nuclear energy
• Nuclear power plants are expensive to build but standard designs are reducing costs
• Nuclear power plants have long lead times from concept to grid, decisions are urgent now
• The public perception of nuclear power is not a positive one but in some “anti” countries the public has turned around, e.g. Finland
• No less than 20 countries are rethinking their positions on nuclear power
• Coal has already rebounded and nuclear may well do the same

1. Executive Summary

2. Status of Nuclear Power, Past Present and Future
Future Nuclear Capacity
Countries Considering Nuclear Power
Italy
Portugal
Poland
Belarus
Ireland
Turkey
Iran
Gulf States
Israel
Syria
Egypt
Tunisia
Algeria
Morocco
Namibia
Georgia
Kazakhstan
Chile
Venezuela
Nigeria
Bangladesh
Indonesia
Vietnam
Thailand
Malaysia
Australia
New Zealand

3. Statistics of Nuclear Energy and Power
Load Factors

4. Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Supporting Industries
Front End
Back End
Once-through Fuel Cycle (open fuel cycle)
Closed Fuel Cycle, Plutonium Cycle
Reprocessing Facilities
Waste Disposal
Low level Waste (LLW)
Intermediate Level Waste (ILW)
High Level Waste (HLW)
Transuranic Waste (TRUW)
Spent Fuel Management
Repositories
Volume of Spent Fuel and Storage Capacity
Interim Storage
Reprocessing
Environmental Impacts of Reprocessing Spent Fuel
The Nuclear Legacy and Decommissioning
The Global Picture
Uranium Production, Enrichment and Fuel Fabrication Facilities
Nuclear Power Facilities

5. Nuclear Technologies
Generations of Reactors
Development of Advanced Reactors
Basic Principles of Nuclear Reaction
Fuel
Moderator
Control Rods
Coolant
Pressure Vessel or Pressure Tubes
Steam Generator
Containment
Light Water Reactors
PWR, Pressurised Water Reactor
Boiling Water Reactor (BWR)
Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR or CANDU)
Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR)
Light Water Graphite-moderated Reactor (RBMK)
Advanced Reactor
Breeder Reactors
US Reactors
French Reactors
Japanese Reactors
Canadian Reactors
Korean Reactors
German Reacto
British Reactors
Magnox
Soviet Reactors
RBMK
WER
China
Daya Bay
Qinshan
Ling Ao

6. Risk and Safety Issues and INES, International Nuclear Event Scale
IAEA Safety Principles
INES, International Nuclear Event Scale
IES, Incident Reporting System
Chernobyl (7 on INES scale)
Three Mile Island (5 in INES Scale)
The Windscale Fire (5 on INES Scale)
Risk of Explosion
Environmental Benefits

7. Non-power Uses for Nuclear Energy
Research Reactors
Nuclear-Powered Ships
Civil Nuclear Vessels
Nuclear Reactors for Space
Transport and the Hydrogen Economy
Radioisotopes in Medicine
Medical Diagnosis and Treatment
Food Processing and Preservation
Industrial Applications
Wastes Treatment
Radioisotopes in Industry

8. Outline History of Nuclear Energy
The Pioneering Days of Nuclear Science
Nuclear Physics in the Soviet Union
The Atomic Bomb
The Manhattan P
Revival of the 'Nuclear Boiler'
Nuclear Energy Goes Commercial
The Nuclear Power Brown-out
Nuclear Renaissance

9. Uranium Reserves and Production
Additional Sources of Supply
Additional Re
A Paradox
Residual Materials

10. Economics of Nuclear Power
Externalities of Nuclear Power
Components of Nuclear Power Costs
Decommissioning Strategy
Discounting and the Cost of Capital
Royal Academy of Engineering Report
Capital Costs
MIT Report
MIT Study (2003) Conclusion
Base Case

11. Nuclear Power Utilities
Americas
Brazil
US
Canada
Mexico
Europe
Belgium
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Finland
France
Germany
Netherlands
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
UK
CIS
Russia
Ukraine
Asia
China
India
Japan
South Korea
Taiwan
Africa
South Africa

12. Nuclear Power Manufacturing Companies, the Global Leaders
Westinghouse
GE, General Electric
Areva
Mitsubishi
Toshiba
Hitachi
Framatome
BNFL (British Nuclear Fuels Limited)
AECL, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited
TVEL
ATOMSTROYEXPORT

13. International Nuclear Associations and Organisations
IAEA, International Atomic Energy Agency
WNA, World Nuclear Association
NEA, Nuclear Energy Agency
IEA, International Energy Agency
EAF, European Atomic Forum
EIA, Energy Information Administration
WANO, World Association of Nuclear Operators

14. Country Profiles
North America
Canada
United States
Europe
Belgium
Czech Republic
Finland
France
Germany
Hungary
Italy
Lithuania
Netherlands
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
United Kingdom
Armenia
Kazakhstan
Russia
Ukraine
Asia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Korea
Pakistan
Vietnam
Rest of the World
Argentina
Brazil
Iran
Mexico
South Africa

15. Sources