54 new reactors under construction worldwide

- Construction of 12 nuclear reactors began in 2009, reports World Nuclear News. However, during the same period, only two nuclear power plants began operations.

The year also brought the closure of two nuclear power plants in Lithuania and France.

The report estimates that throughout the world, 54 nuclear reactors are under various stages of construction, including one each in Russia and South Korea, as well as 10 reactors in China. The trend in 2009 is similar to that seen in 2008, when no reactors were commissioned, but 10 nuclear plants were under various phases of development.

With an average build time of four to six years, there are indications that at least one reactor will be critical every month through 2014. In 2010, eight new reactors are expected to be commissioned, and two existing plants will go live after augmentation. WNN's report is bullish about strong growth in nuclear power plant construction in the next couple of years.

In 2009, France's 233-megawatt (MW) Phenix nuclear power plant in Marcoule, which is based on prototype fast breeder reactor technology, was shut down. While plant operations have ceased, decommissioning is expected to be completed by 2014.

Nuclear power from 59 operating reactors accounts for 75% of France's energy mix.

France is constructing the Penly-3 and Flamanville-3 nuclear power plants, each with a generating capacity of 1,620 MW. Flamanville-3 and Penly-3 are expected to be connected to the grid by 2012 and 2017, respectively.

In its bid to enter the European Union, Lithuania agreed to shut down the Ignalina I and II nuclear power plants. Both units provided electricity not only to Lithuania but also Latvia, Kaliningrad and Belarus. The first unit was closed in 2004, while the second unit was shut down in late 2009.

The EU has agreed to take care of the decommissioning expenditure through 2013. The Ignalina nuclear reactors are based on Soviet-engineered Reaktor Bolshoy Moshchnosti Kanalniy (RMBK) technology. With the shutting down of the reactors, Russia remains the only country to operate RMBK reactors.

Currently, Lithuania does not generate electricity from nuclear sources. The country has announced plans to build a new nuclear power plant by 2018.

The year 2009 also saw two new nuclear power plants commissioned in India and Japan.

On March 3, Japan's 868 MW Tomari-3 nuclear power plant, built with 3-loop technology developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Incorporated, attained criticality.

This plant is expected to be the last reactor built with second-generation technology in Japan. The 220-MW fifth unit of India's Rajasthan Atomic Power Station attained criticality in November. Both reactors were connected to their respective national grids in December.

Last year, global nuclear power generating capacity increased by 808 MW through capacity augmentation of existing plants. Presently, global nuclear power generating capacity is about 372,673 MW.

WNN forecasts that demand for uranium will increase nearly 50% in the next couple of years, primarily driven by ambitious nuclear power development programs in China and India. China, which operates 11 nuclear power plants, plans to build 100 new reactors by 2020. India has also announced that it will ramp up its nuclear reactor fleet to generate 20,000 MW by 2020.