Nuclear power: Factors affecting location

Pelindaba Nuclear station South Africa. Image credit thinkgeoenergy.com

• The pollution caused by nuclear power plants and the ever present danger of a melt down and nuclear fall-out have made such plants very sensitive in terms of location relative to areas of high population densities.
• Environmentalists in advanced countries have, through demonstrations, led to the shutdown of nuclear power stations.
• For these reasons, nuclear power plants are best located in isolated remote areas.
• They are also located far from human settlements in order to dispose of their nuclear wastes freely.
• Since large quantities of water are used at nuclear power stations, they therefore must locate near large rivers or near coastlines.
• Large areas of land is also needed to build the power plants.
• Other important factors in the production of nuclear power which are not locational in nature include demand, capital and technology or skills.
• Building a nuclear power station is very expensive and therefore large amounts of capital must be available.
• Countries with nuclear power stations include the USA, the UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Japan and Italy.
• Well trained nuclear physicists must also be available to build and maintain the stations.
• For a country to build nuclear power stations, the demand for electrical energy has to be very high to warrant the construction of such expensive plants.

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