Over the next few decades global electricity consumption is expected to at least double. At the same time , many power plants in rich countries , built in the 1960’s and 1970’s are nearing the end of their projected lifespans/ Meanwhile concern is swelling both about global warming, and about the Western World’s increasing dependence on a shrinking number of hostile or unstable countries for imports of oil and gas. The solution to this commundrum , in the eyes of many governments is nuclear power and energy. Both China and India are in the process of building several reactors and intend to increase their nuclear generating capacities several times over the next 15 years. Some countries such as Turkey and Vietnam , are considering starting nuclear power programs, and others including Argentina and South Africa plan to expand their existing ones.
The “Rich” world is also reexamining the case for nuclear. America is expecting a rush of new applications to build new reactors in the coming years - the first in almost thirty years.
Britain’s Prime Minister has affirmed his support for a new generation of nuclear power plants. Construction of a new plant in Finland - Western Europe’s first in 15 years began in 2005; work is underway on a similar one - this time in France. Other European countries that had frozen or decided to scrap their nuclear programs are rethinking their plans.
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