Chernobyl Nuclear Revival

FILE - In this photo released by Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi, center, walks with members of his delegation and employees while visiting the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant outside the town of Kurchatov, Russia, on Aug. 27, 2024.

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More countries are turning to nuclear power 40 years after the Chernobyl disaster

More countries are turning to nuclear power 40 years after the Chernobyl disaster

The 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster fueled global fears about nuclear energy and slowed down its development in Europe and other regions. But four decades after the accident, nuclear power is seeing a global revival. Over 400 nuclear reactors are operational in 31 countries, and about 70 more are under construction. Nuclear power accounts for about 10% of the world’s electricity, equivalent to about a quarter of all low-carbon power. International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol said that while Chernobyl and the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan diminished the appetite for such sources of power, it was clear years ago that there would probably be a revival.