Countries with Highest Nuclear Capacity

This chart shows Countries with highest Nuclear Capacity.

Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions that release nuclear energy to generate heat, which most frequently is then used in steam turbines to produce electricity in a nuclear power plant. The term includes nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion.

The nuclear fission of elements in the actinide series of the periodic table produce the vast majority of nuclear energy in the direct service of humankind, with nuclear decay processes, primarily in the form of geothermal energy, and radioisotope thermoelectric generators, in niche uses making up the rest.

A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first test of a fission bomb released the same amount of energy as approximately 20,000 tons of TNT . The first thermonuclear bomb test released the same amount of energy as approximately 10 million tons of TNT.

There is a social debate about nuclear power. Proponents, such as the World Nuclear Association and Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy, contend that nuclear power is a safe, sustainable energy source that reduces carbon emissions.Opponents, such as Greenpeace International and NIRS, contend that nuclear power poses many threats to people and the environment.