ABSTRACT

Since the first nuclear power plant was built in 1954, the development of nuclear power has included phases of rapid expansion in the 1970s and then stagnation, after the Chernobyl catastrophe in 1986. Although Bryant (2011) reports that Chernobyl’s legacy remains deeply felt across Europe, the increasing demand for energy and climate change mitigation targets has accelerated a revitalization of nuclear power technologies over the last 10 years with many countries further including nuclear power in their energy strategies (Clery 2005). The latest statistics show that 433 nuclear power reactors are in operation around the world, with other 65 nuclear power reactors under construction (International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] 2011).