The Types of Nuclear Reactors Built in Europe
2009
Juris Ekmanis, Valdis Gavars, Elmārs Tomsons, Daniels Turlajs

The reserves of fossil fuels are running low and a considerable increase of prices, which occurred, even taking in account the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) disaster, gives a start to a renaissance of nuclear energetic. NPP’s are already a long time producing energy for humanity, excluding such global phenomenon as global warming and greenhouse effect, acid rains, etc. Considering the shutdown of the Ignalina NPP, it will lead Lithuania into a deficit of electrical energy. Taking in account this situation, towards the end of 2009 an agreement about supply from the Ukraine is being prepared. A bigger deficit is being awaited in Latvia; to cover it will be a problem of nearest future. But looking forward the next 15-20 years, the only reasonable way out will become the construction of a NPP. This is the prime reason for the analysis of mistakes committed in the European and world experience of NPP’s to make the correct choice of nuclear reactor (NR) and nuclear power plant. By the August of 2009 18 member countries of the EU are driving 196 nuclear reactors with a total load of 170753 MWe, which is 39% of the total load of all world’s NPP and produce about a third of the necessary electricity, about 1156 TWh. The most NR – 59 are working in France, 31 – in Russia, 17 – in Germany. In 2008 all NPP in France produced a total of 418,3 TMWh, which is 76,18% of the necessary energy. There were 17 NR (a third part of the world’s NR) started or the construction work went on in EU in 2009. 15 of them are pressurized water reactor type (PWR) stations. Its building started in the 50th years of the 20th century in the Soviet Union. The total heat load of a single reactor was 70 MWth. Nowadays the largest PWR reactor with a gross electrical load of 1720 MWe, net load 1600 MWe is being constructed on Olkioto, Finland, 350 km from Riga. There are 2 NPP closer to Riga, just 265 km that are located in Loviisa, Finland. The parameters of all stations can be observed further in the given work.


Keywords
Nuclear reactor safety, nuclear power energetic and station,

Ekmanis, J., Gavars, V., Tomsons, E., Turlajs, D. The Types of Nuclear Reactors Built in Europe. Mechanics. Vol.31, 2009, pp.147-157. ISSN 1407-8015.

Publication language
Latvian (lv)
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