Notwithstanding the near collapse in public support, the period 1970-1989 was a time of rapid growth in nuclear power, with world nuclear electrical generating capacity increasing by a factor of around 20. The USA saw 98 new NPPs started up in this period, 49 of them prior to TMI. In France, five new PWR reactors were commissioned by the end of 1979 and another 43 in the following decade. In the UK, four new gas-cooled reactors were brought on line in 1976-1977 followed by another ten through the 1980s. Also in the UK, 1977 was notable for the Windscale public inquiry, which found in favour of a proposal to build the THORP reprocessing plant despite strong opposition.

Thereafter, installed nuclear capacity rose much more slowly (Fig. 1.3). There is no doubt that the abrupt change of pace was, to some extent, a consequence of TMI and Chernobyl but the collapse in world oil prices (Fig. 1.1) will also have had an effect. Between 1987 and 2007 installed capacity grew by roughly 25% whilst, over the same period, actual electricity production from nuclear power plants rose by more than twice this. Thus, against a background of steadily

increasing total electricity production, nuclear power managed to maintain its share at around 16%. This increased output came from improved plant performance (e. g. fewer scrams and breakdowns) and, coming in towards the end of the period, increases in the rated output of plant resulting from the use of more highly enriched fuel. These developments were often accompanied by plant life extensions so that NPPs whose nominal operational period was 30 years have often been extended to 40 or even 50 years.