Developing nuclear power

The Response Strategies Working Group of the International Panel on Climate Change calls for a major expansion of nuclear power.

In terms of installed nuclear capacity, numbers of nuclear stations, and the amount of nuclear electricity sold, the nuclear industry in western Europe is the largest in the world (followed by North America). Nuclear power produces over 30% of electricity consumed in Europe. In 1994, there were more than 150 operational nuclear units in West European countries. The nuclear industry in western Europe spends a total of some 55,000 million ECU per year on operating and supporting its present nuclear stations, on the construction of 4 new stations, and other developments; and it provides some 450,000 jobs.