Nuclear pouer station

A nuclear power station or nuclear power plant is a thermal pouer station in which the heat soorce is a nuclear reactor. As is teepical o thermal pouer stations, heat is uised tae generate steam that drives a steam turbine connected tae a generator that produces electricity. As o 23 Apryle 2014^[update], the IAEA report thare are 449 nuclear power reactors in operation^[1] operating in 31 countries.^[2]

Nuclear plants are uisually considered tae be base load stations syne fuel is a smaw pairt o the cost o production^[3] an acause thay canna be easily or quickly dispatched. Thair operations an maintenance (O&M) an fuel costs are, alang wi hydropower stations, at the law end o the spectrum an mak them suitable as base-load pouer suppliers. The cost o spent fuel management, houiver, is somewhat uncertain.