Nuclear Power Is in Demand

Source: Seeking Alpha  (5/15/08)

Looking at the figures, you'd think the world has embraced nuclear energy once again with open arms. There are currently 439 nuclear plants in operation worldwide, 33 under construction and 94 that are in advanced planning stages, according to Jeremy Gordon, a spokesperson for the World Nuclear Association in London.


Not surprisingly, the nuclear renaissance on this power-starved planet is not without debate. How it all plays out will surely provide some interesting opportunities for investors.

Nuclear power promises to displace the naughty carbon-producing plants, such as those that burn coal and oil, with a cleaner energy source for decades to come. That could mean less demand for fossil fuels and more for uranium, the fuel most widely used by reactors for nuclear fission. It almost certainly will mean increased consumption of some of the metals and steel that go into the construction of the gigantic nuclear reactors.

Looking at the figures, you'd think the world has embraced nuclear energy once again with open arms. There are currently 439 nuclear plants in operation worldwide, 33 under construction and 94 that are in advanced planning stages, according to Jeremy Gordon, a spokesperson for the World Nuclear Association in London. There are a large number of additional facilities - 222 - that are less firmly planned. Four plants in the United States have applied for regulatory permission to begin construction, says Gordon, but the bulk of the new construction is targeted for China, India, Russia, South Korea and Japan.