History of nuclear power

The first successful experiment with nuclear fission1970 and 1990, more than 50 GW of capacity was
was conducted in 1938 in Berlin by the Germanunder construction (peaking at over 150 GW in the
physicists Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner and Fritzlate 70s and early 80s) — in 2005, around
Strassmann.25 GW of new capacity was planned. More than
During the Second World War, a number of nationstwo-thirds of all nuclear plants ordered after January
embarked on crash programs to develop nuclear1970 were eventually cancelled.
energy, focusing first on the development of nuclearThe first organization to develop utilitarian nuclear
reactors. The first self-sustaining nuclear chainpower was the U.S. Navy, for the purpose of
reaction was obtained at the University of Chicagopropelling submarines and aircraft carriers. It has a
by Enrico Fermi on December 2, 1942, and reactorsgood record in nuclear safety, perhaps because of
based on his research were used to produce thethe stringent demands of Admiral Hyman G. Rickover,
plutonium necessary for the "Fat Man" weaponwho was the driving force behind nuclear marine
dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. Several nations beganpropulsion. The U.S. Navy has operated more nuclear
their own construction of nuclear reactors at thisreactors than any other entity, including the Soviet
point, primarily for weapons use, though researchNavy, with no publicly known major incidents. Two
was also being conducted into their use for civilianU.S. nuclear submarines, USS Scorpion and Thresher,
electricity generation.have been lost at sea, though for reasons not
Electricity was generated for the first time by arelated to their reactors, and their wrecks are
nuclear reactor on December 20, 1951 at the EBR-Isituated such that the risk of nuclear pollution is
experimental fast breeder station near Arco, Idaho,considered low.
which initially produced about 100 kW. The ArcoDuring the 1970s and 1980s rising economic costs
Reactor was also the first to a partial melt down (in(related to vastly extended construction times largely
1955).due to regulatory changes and pressure-group
In 1952, a report by the Paley Commission (Thelitigation) and falling fossil fuel prices made nuclear
President's Materials Policy Commission) for Presidentpower plants then under construction less attractive.
Harry Truman made a "relatively pessimistic"The 1973 oil crisis had a significant effect on the
assessment of nuclear power, and called forconstruction of nuclear power plants worldwide. The
"aggressive research in the whole field of solaroil embargo led to a global economic recession and
energy".[7]high inflation that both reduced the projected
A December 1953 speech by President Dwightdemand for new electric generation capacity in the
Eisenhower, "Atoms for Peace", set the U.S. on aUnited States and made financing such capital
course of strong government support for theintensive projects difficult. This contributed to the
international use of nuclear power.cancellation of over 100 reactor orders in the USA.
Early yearsEven so, the plants already under construction
The Shippingport Atomic Power Station ineffectively displaced oil for the generation of
Shippingport, Pennsylvania was the first commercialelectricity. In 1973, oil generated 17% of the
reactor in the USA and was opened in 1957.electricity in the United States. Today, oil is a minor
The Shippingport Atomic Power Station insource of electric power (except in Hawaii), while
Shippingport, Pennsylvania was the first commercialnuclear power now generates 20% of that country's
reactor in the USA and was opened in 1957.electricity. The oil crisis caused other countries, such
On June 27, 1954, the world's first nuclear poweras France and Japan, which had relied even more
plant to generate electricity for a power grid startedheavily on oil for electric generation (39% and 73%
operations at Obninsk, USSR. The reactor wasrespectively) to invest heavily in nuclear power.
graphite moderated, water cooled and had a capacityToday, nuclear power supplies about 80% and 30%
of 5 megawatts (MW). It produced 5 megawattsof the electricity in those countries, respectively.
(electrical), enough to power 2,000 homes.In the 1980s (U.S.) and 1990s (Europe), flat load
The world's first commercial nuclear power station,growth and electricity liberalization also made the
Calder Hall in Sellafield, England was opened in 1956, aaddition of large new baseload capacity unattractive.
gas-cooled Magnox reactor with an initial capacity ofA general movement against nuclear power arose
50 MW (later 200 MW).[10] The Shippingport Reactorduring the last third of the 20th century, based on
(Pennsylvania, 1957), a pressurized water reactor,the fear of a possible nuclear accident and on fears
was the first commercial nuclear generator toof radiation, and on the opposition to nuclear waste
become operational in the United States.production, transport and final storage. Perceived
In 1954, the chairman of the United States Atomicrisks on the citizens' health and safety, the 1979
Energy Commission (forerunner of the U.S. Nuclearaccident at Three Mile Island and the 1986 Chernobyl
Regulatory Commission) talked about electricity beingdisaster played a part in stopping new plant
"too cheap to meter" in the future, oftenconstruction in many countries. However, in the US
misreported as a concrete statement about nuclearnew construction dropped sharply before the Three
power, and foresaw 1000 nuclear plants on line in theMile Island accident, after the 1973 oil crises.
USA by the year 2000.Unlike the Three Mile Island accident, the much more
In 1955 the United Nations' "First Genevaserious Chernobyl accident did not increase
Conference", then the world's largest gathering ofregulations affecting Western reactors since the
scientists and engineers, met to explore theChernobyl reactors were of the problematic RBMK
technology. In 1957 EURATOM was launcheddesign only used in the Soviet Union, for example
alongside the European Economic Community (thelacking containment buildings. An international
latter is now the European Union). The same yearorganization to promote safety awareness and
also saw the launch of the International Atomicprofessional development on operators in nuclear
Energy Agency (IAEA).facilities was created: WANO; World Association of
Enrico Fermi and Leó Szilárd in 1955 sharedNuclear Operators.
U.S. Patent 2,708,656 for the nuclear reactor.Austria (1978), Sweden (1980) and Italy (1987)
Development(influenced by Chernobyl) voted in referendums to
Installed nuclear capacity initially rose relatively quickly,oppose or phase out nuclear power, while opposition
rising from less than 1 gigawatt (GW) in 1960 to 100in Ireland prevented a nuclear program there.
GW in the late 1970s, and 300 GW in the late 1980s.However, the Brookings Institution suggests that
Since the late 1980s capacity has risen much morenew nuclear units have not been ordered in the US
slowly, reaching 366 GW in 2005, primarily due toprimarily for economic reasons rather than fears of
Chinese expansion of nuclear power. Between aroundaccidents