Nuclear fission: continuing evolution of a future generation

There are nearly 450 operational nuclear fission reactors around the world, providing 16% of the world's electricity and cutting CO2 emissions by one billion tonnes a year. Britain's 23 operational reactors at 12 nuclear power stations provide over 20% of the country's electricity, though all but four will close within 10 years. This paper reviews the current state of the nuclear power industry and reports on the new generations of fission reactor design currently being researched and developed. It concludes that the future of electricity generation from nuclear fission in the UK lies in the deployment of an evolutionary ‘Generation III’ design to replace the current fleet of reactors, and for further research into revolutionary ‘Generation IV’ reactors.