Nuclear power stations were developed in the 1950s, and electricity was generated for the first time from the plant on December 20,1951. Today, there are more than 440 commercial power plants in the world, with Japan’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa having the highest capacity. We have assembled a list of the world’s largest nuclear power plants.
Did You Know?
As of 2012, the United States has the highest nuclear power capacity of 101,576 MW.
Nuclear power plants convert the energy released by the process of nuclear fission into electricity. This conversion takes place in a nuclear reactor where the heat from the nuclear fission process is removed, and steam is produced. This steam drives a steam turbine whose output is connected to a generator. This generator converts the turbine output into electricity. The largest nuclear plants are the ones, which have the highest capacity.
Today, there are nuclear power plants in about 30 countries, and there are more than 440 plants, which supply about 14% of the world’s currently used electricity [Source – World Nuclear Association, 2011 data]. We, at Buzzle, have put forth a list of the largest nuclear power plants. The plants are rated as per their installed capacity.
World’s Largest Nuclear Power Plants
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
✇ Country: Japan
✇ Installed Capacity: 4,696 MW
✇ Operator: Tokyo Electric Power Company
This power plant is located in Okuma in Japan and started its operation in 1971. The plant consists of six boiling water reactors, which makes it one of the largest nuclear plants in the world. However, when the 2011 Tsunami hit Japan, this plant was completely damaged. Due to this, the units 5 and 6 are now out of service, and units 1 to 4 are decommissioned. However, the plant is unlikely to recover from the damage and may not reopen.
Ōi Nuclear Power Plant
✇ Country: Japan
✇ Installed Capacity: 4,710 MW
✇ Operator: Kansai Electric Power Company
This power plant was commissioned in the year 1979, and by 1993, the plant had 4 pressurized water reactors. However, as of 2013, only units 3 and 4 are functioning. There have been several accidents that took place in the plant, and this led to the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) conducting safety tests for keeping it functioning. New safety standards have been set, and all the units of the plant have to adhere to these standards.
Cattenom Nuclear Power Plant
✇ Country: France
✇ Installed Capacity: 5,448 MW
✇ Operator: Électricité de France S.A. (EDF)
This nuclear power plant was commissioned in the year 1986 and currently has 4 PWR (Pressurized water reactors) at its site. All the four reactors are fully operational, and thus, the net generation of the plant is 583,422 GWh. The area around the plant has high earthquake resistance, and thus, it is declared as a low-risk area for earthquake by the Ministry of Ecology.
Paluel Nuclear Power Plant
✇ Country: France
✇ Installed Capacity: 5,528 MW
✇ Operator: Électricité de France S.A. (EDF)
This power plant has four reactors installed with each generating over 1300 MW per hour. The plant was commissioned in the year 1984, and there are planned shutdowns of the units in the year 2025 and 2026. The net generation of the plant is about 689,640 GWh. This power plant gets its cooling water from the English Channel.
Gravelines Nuclear Power Station
✇ Country: France
✇ Installed Capacity: 5,706 MW
✇ Operator: Électricité de France S.A. (EDF)
This power plant is the fifth largest nuclear power plant in the world and the second largest in Europe. The plant was commissioned in the year 1980 and currently has 6 PWR, with each reactor having the capacity of about 950 MW. All the reactors are fully operational. In 2006, the plant produced 38.4 TWh energy!
Yonggwang Nuclear Power Plant
✇ Country: South Korea
✇ Installed Capacity: 5,875 MW
✇ Operator: Korea Electric and Power Company (KEPCO)
The power plant’s name was changed to Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant in 2013. The first unit in this power plant was commissioned in 1986, and by 2002, it had six nuclear reactors that produced over 900 MW each. The reactors are of PWR type, and in 2012, two reactors were shut down for component replacement.
Uljin Nuclear Power Plant
✇ Country: South Korea
✇ Installed Capacity: 5,881 MW
✇ Operator: Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power
The plant’s name was changed to Hanul in 2013. This nuclear power plant was commissioned in 1988 and currently has six PWRs. This plant will have two new reactors by 2017-18, which will use Korean-made components in all the critical parts of the reactor for the first time. The reactors of the plant can withstand earthquake tremors up to the magnitude of 7.
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
✇ Country: Ukraine
✇ Installed Capacity: 6,000 MW
✇ Operator: Energoatom
This power plant is the largest one in Europe. It has about six reactors installed with each reactor having a capacity of about 1000 MW. The electricity generated from the plant supplies half of the country’s electricity need. The plant was commissioned in the year 1985, and till date, all the six reactors are fully functional.
Bruce Nuclear Generating Station
✇ Country: Canada
✇ Installed Capacity: 6,232 MW
✇ Operator: Bruce Power
This plant is located near the shore of Lake Huron, and as of 2013, it is the largest nuclear facility. The plant was commissioned in the year 1977, and today, it has 8 nuclear reactors. All the reactors are functional and thus, the net generation of the plant sums up to 7276 MW. The plant’s license will expire in the year 2014.
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant
✇ Country: Japan
✇ Installed Capacity: 8,212 MW
✇ Operator: Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)
This nuclear plant was built in 1985; however, it started its operation only in 1997. The plant houses seven reactors with a capacity of over 1000 MW. This power plant suffered maximum damage in the 2007 earthquake and suffered a shutdown of 21 months due to the damage. After the 2011 earthquake, many new safety measures have been taken; however, the plant is not expected to open until mid-2013.
