![]() There are two possibilities: the centrifugation or the diffusion of the uranium in gaseous form (hexafluorure UF6). Because of the small percentage of fissile material in the natural uranium, and in order to obtain suitable nuclear fuel for the pressurised water reactors (PWR, the majority in Europe), it is necessary to increase the concentration (‘enrich’) of the U-235 isotope from 0.7 % to 3-5 %. U-238 does not contribute directly to the fission process (though it does so indirectly by the formation of fissile isotopes of plutonium 239). ![]() Uranium found in nature consists largely of two isotopes, uranium-235 (U-235, fissile) at 0.7 % and uranium-238 (U-238, non fissile) at 99.3 %. The Netherlands and Germany were on the other end of the spectrum, with 3.1 % and 11.8 %, respectively. France had the highest share of nuclear in its electricity mix (68.9 %), followed by Slovakia (52.4 %) and Belgium (50.6 %). In 2021 at EU level, 25.4 % of all electricity produced was generated by nuclear power plants. ![]() Lithuania definitively shut down its nuclear facilities in 2009. Figure 1: Gross electricity generation in nuclear power plants, GWh, 1990 to 2021Ĭontrary to the general EU trend, between 20 seven countries increased their nuclear electricity production: Romania, whose nuclear power production began only in 1996 (+100.4 %), Hungary (+18.8 %), Czechia (+18.0 %), the Netherlands (+10.4 %), Belgium (+7.9 %), Finland (+3.0 %), and Slovenia (+2.9 %).ĭuring the same period, the remaining countries (including the main producers) decreased their nuclear electricity production. ![]()
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