The nuclear industry is at a turning point. The civilian use of nuclear energy followed, first in the United States and then in Europe, the development of the atomic bomb during the Second World War. Some specialists in the United States even predicted around 1950 an almost infinite availability of energy – nuclear – towards the end of the century, rendering no interest any debate on fossil energy reserves. Between 1970 and 1990 the great development of nuclear power from 5 reactors with a power of 1 or 2 GW in 1950 to a fleet of more than 400 reactors in 1990. Three countries own half of the reactors: USA, 96, France, 56 and China, 55. While projects in Western countries remain limited, China, for example, is planning to build several dozen or even hundreds of reactors.

The development of nuclear power in France

In 1946, General De Gaulle created the Atomic Energy Commission, which will work on both military aspects (explosion of the first French atomic bomb in 1960 in the Sahara) and civilian aspects (development of the graphite gas industry). The first power plants will be commissioned in the late 1950s.

Since France has no fossil fuels, all governments in the fourth and fifth republic are concerned about the nuclear sector. In the early 1970s, the choice shifted to the pressurized water sector. Launched at the beginning of 19743, the French nuclear programme was greatly accelerated by the first oil shock, which saw the price of oil multiplied by 3. In 1974 it was decided to build 55 reactors with a total power of 55GW. The reactors will be built until 1994 with unit powers ranging from 900 to 1300 MW.

Nuclear in the world

The first major nuclear accident will take place at Three Mile Island in 1979. But it will have little impact on civilian nuclear activity.

The development of nuclear power worldwide was halted by the Chernobyl disaster (a reactor explosion in Ukraine in 1986). In the early 2000s a nuclear renaissance seemed to be emerging, but the Fukushima disaster (a tsunami overwhelms the Fukushima nuclear power plants on the east coast of Japan, causing an explosion) will again lead to the cessation of many projects.

The nuclear industry has to deal with some degree of opposition from different countries. The risk of accidents but also the management of radioactive waste, after fuel use, are at the root of the oppositions to nuclear energy

Is nuclear power necessary?

Climate change, the effects of which are increasingly clear (fires, floods, coastal erosion), is due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, in particular carbon dioxide, which is largely the result of the burning of fossil fuels and methane. However, fossil fuels cover more than 80% of global energy needs.

In 2024 energy consumption in the world increased by 2%, oil consumption by 1%, coal consumption by 1% and gas consumption by 3%. Certainly renewable energies (especially solar and wind energy, develop very quickly. Almost non-existent 20 years ago they now cover about 8% (with hydraulics) of our needs. But solar and wind, if they don't emit greenhouse gases have some disadvantages: they are intermittent and when the sun disappears or the wind weakens you have to find other sources of energy. In addition, the construction of wind turbines, solar panels and batteries requires substantial quantities of critical metals (copper, nickel, cobalt, lithium, etc.) and rare earths whose extraction poses environmental problems and whose production is largely concentrated in China, as Western countries, for example, do not necessarily lack rare earths, have preferred to relocate to Asia a production deemed too polluting.

Conclusion

Currently nuclear produces about 10% of the electricity generated worldwide, renewables (hydraulic, solar, wind) generating more than 30%

But it is illusory to think that renewables can entirely replace fossil fuels, which are largely responsible for climate change. Nuclear energy, despite its disadvantages, does not emit greenhouse gases. It is probably a necessity.