Publication Laka-library:
Nuclear power looking for the future (1990)
| Author | Karl Stahlkopf |
| Date | March 1990 |
| Classification | 6.01.3.50/04 (NUCLEAR SAFETY - REACTORS - NEW GENERATIONS - GENERAL) |
| Front | 
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From the publication:
NUCLEAR POWER LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Karl Stahlkopf Electric Power Research Institute Palo Alto, California, USA Twenty-five years ago as the founders of GKN looked toward the future and the construction of The Netherlands first nuclear power plant, Dodewaard, they were pioneers in the commercial development of an energy form which now sees 417 nuclear power plants operating around the world today generating 300,000 megawatts of electricity in 26 countries. For the past 21 years, Dodewaard itself has met the expectations of its founders by providing a safe, reliable and clean source of electricity. Following the lead of early visionaries, such as the founders of GKN, France is generating 70% of its electricity with nuclear power; Belgium 66%, Hungary 49%, Sweden 47%, Germany 34%, Japan 23% and the USA 19%. (1) Table 1 gives a listing of major nuclear power commitment in the world. Nuclear power, despite this success, has not completely lived up to its hoped for potential. The general loss of public and political support as a result of the TMI-2 and Chernobyl accidents has caused the cancellation or delay in deployment of nuclear plants in both the USA and Europe. However, this negative trend is being replaced by the realization that nuclear power must be a vital part of our future energy mix if current concerns about acid rain and global warming from the combustion of fossil fuels are borne out. Over the past hundred years, global temperatures have risen by about 0.8ºc (2) as shown in Figure 1. This rise is attributed by many scientists to be due to an increase in CO2 levels in the atmosphere which have resulted from the combustion of fossil fuels.
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