Top 10 Largest Nuclear Power Plants in the World

1. Shin Kori Nuclear Power Plant, South Korea

Capacity: 4,748 MW

The Shin Kori Nuclear Power Plant, located near Ulsan, South Korea, has an installed capacity of 4,748MW and a total capacity of 4,974MW. It is the third largest nuclear power plant in South Korea and the ninth largest in the world in terms of actual capacity. Owned and operated by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), this power plant is equipped with four operating PWR units, including two Advanced Power Reactor-1400 (APR-1400) reactors. Two additional APR1400 units have been constructed at the corresponding site since April 2017 and September 2018. The first two units have an actual capacity of 996MW each, operational from 2010 to 2012, while the third and fourth units commenced operations in January 2016 and April 2019, respectively.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) owns and operates the Shin Kori Nuclear Power Plant. The company applied for a construction license for two new reactors, units five and six (Shin-Kori 5 and Shin-Kori 6), in Ulju-gun, Ulsan, in September 2012. The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) approved the application in January 2014. Construction of Shin-Kori 5 began in April 2017, while Shin-Kori 6 started in September 2018. These two reactors are scheduled to commence commercial operations in March 2021 and March 2022, respectively. Units 5 and 6 of Shin Kori will be equipped with KEPCO's APR1400, a 4,000MWt pressurized water reactor. The APR1400 is a next-generation nuclear power plant with a design lifespan of 60 years. The reactor's standard design is built to withstand earthquakes up to the safe shutdown earthquake (SSE) level of 0.3g.

2. Paluel Nuclear Power Plant, France

Capacity: 5,320 MW

Paluel Nuclear Power Plant, located near Dieppe, France, is currently the seventh largest NPP in the world in terms of actual capacity. Situated on 160 hectares along the banks of the English Channel, it utilizes water from the English Channel for cooling. Owned and operated by EDF, it comprises 4 PWRs with a total installed capacity of 5,528 MW (1,382 MW each) and a real designed capacity of 5,200 MW (1,300 MW each). Construction of the nuclear power plant began in 1977. The first two units of the plant were connected to the grid in 1984. The third and fourth units began operation in 1985. Paluel is France's second largest NPP, after Gravelines.

The Paluel Nuclear Power Plant consists of four pressurized water reactors with 1330 MW output each. The primary function of these reactors is achieved by using water pumped under extremely high pressure, where it is heated by the energy generated from the splitting of atoms. This process is called cooling. In terms of output, the Paluel Plant is ranked as the second largest electricity producer in France and seventh worldwide. The public electricity grid in France is supplied with 32 billion kWh by the plant. The plant employs innovative technical programs to enhance its operational quality. One example is the use of heli-detection systems to identify condenser tube leaks, allowing for the detection and remediation of very small leaks. Currently, there are 1,250 full-time employees at the plant, which has helped boost the French economy through job creation and the stability associated with plant employment.

Capacity: 5,200 MW

Cattenom Nuclear Power Plant 5,448MW (total) is located in Cattenom, France. The power plant is owned and operated by EDF. The actual capacity of the plant is 5,200MW, equivalent to Paluel NPP, the seventh largest nuclear power plant in the world. Cattenom Nuclear Power Plant comprises four 1,362MW PWRs. Construction of the plant began in 1979, and commercial operation commenced in April 1987. The fourth reactor of the plant was connected to the grid in 1991. The Cattenom nuclear facility utilizes water from the Moselle River. Three condenser units of the plant were removed and replaced in 2019, involving the replacement of a total of 64,200 tubes.

Cattenom Nuclear Power Plant was built in 1979 and is located very close to the Luxembourg border. It presents several key safety issues. Numerous protests aiming to shut down the nuclear reactor have been organized over the years. The French and Luxembourgish governments, as well as environmental organizations such as Greenpeace, have sought to oppose proposals to extend the lifespan of the power plant. The reactor is planned to be shut down in 2026, a provision stemming from French law that the lifespan of nuclear power plants should not exceed 40 years. The nuclear power plant poses an existing threat to the entire country, as an accident could result in significant loss of life, along with its culture and traditions. 75% of the Luxembourgish population lives within a 25km radius of the reactor.

Capacity: 5,430 MW

Yangjiang Nuclear Power Plant, located in Guangdong province, China, has an installed capacity of 5,430MW with 5 PWRs of 1,086MW each, while the sixth reactor is scheduled to be operational in the second half of 2019. Owned by China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group (CGN) and operated by Yangjiang Nuclear Power Company, the actual capacity of the power plant is 5,000MW, making it the eighth largest nuclear power plant in the world. The first three units of the plant commenced operation in 2014, 2015, and 2016, while the fourth and fifth units were grid-connected in January 2017 and May 2018 respectively. Yangjiang Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) 6GW is the largest nuclear power project in China based on the number of approved units at one time.

Yangjiang Nuclear Power Plant has replaced fossil fuel with nuclear energy, resulting in a reduction of coal consumption by 30.9 Mg and carbon dioxide emissions by 80.8Mg. Construction of the first unit began in December 2008, with commercial operations commencing in March 2014. China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) holds a 29% stake in Yangjiang Nuclear Power Plant, while its subsidiaries, GIC and CGN Industrial Investment Fund Phase I, hold 30% and 7% respectively. Guangdong Yudean Group and CLP Holdings hold the remaining shares with 17% each. CGN's subsidiary, CGN Power, manages the nuclear power plant. As of November 2018, the five units of Yangjiang NPP had transmitted over 100 TWh of electricity to the grid. The sixth unit of the plant is currently under construction and was completed in 2019.

Capacity: 5,406 MW

Nuclear energy accounts for about three-quarters of France's total electricity output. The Western European country currently operates 58 reactors across 20 sites, excluding one reactor under construction in Flamanville. Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant, with an installed capacity of 5,460 MW and a total capacity of 5,706 MW, is currently ranked as the sixth-largest nuclear power plant in the world. The power plant is located in Gravelines in northern France and comprises six similar-capacity PWR units that were commissioned from 1980 to 1985. The nuclear facility, owned and operated by the French utility company Electricite De France (EDF), set a milestone in August 2010 by supplying 1 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity.

With a total installed nuclear capacity of 63.1 GW in 2018, France is the second-largest nuclear power producer after the United States. A total of 58 nuclear reactors generate over 71% of the country's total electricity output. Situated 48 km from Dover on the French coast between Calais and Dunkirk, Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant is the largest nuclear energy facility in France. Owned and operated by the French state-owned utility company Electricite De France (EDF), the Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant comprises six 910 MW pressurized water reactors (PWRs) that were commissioned from 1980 to 1985. Built on a 150-hectare site in northern France, the six-reactor facility supplied 1 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2010.

Capacity: 5,899 MW

Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant in South Korea, formerly known as Yeonggwang Nuclear Power Plant, is currently ranked as the fourth-largest nuclear power plant in the world, with an installed capacity of 5,899 MW and a total capacity of 6,164 MW. The power plant is operated by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and comprises six PWR units that were commissioned in 1986, 1986, 1994, 1995, 2001, and 2002, respectively. Unit 3 with a capacity of 1,000 MW was kept offline due to cracks found in its control rod guide tubes in November 2012. This unit resumed operation in June 2013 after eight months of repairs.

Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant is a major nuclear facility and ranks among the top 10 largest nuclear power plants in the world. This power plant was initially named Yeonggwang and was renamed Hanbit in 2013, with an installed capacity of 5.9 GW across six reactors. Additionally, KHNP's Hanul Units 1 and 2, both with a capacity of 950 MW, are also part of the Hanbit complex. Construction began on June 4, 1981, with the first reactor commissioned and started generating electricity on August 25, 1986. Construction of the final reactor commenced on November 20, 1997, and it began operation on December 24, 2002, to produce power.

All units at Hanbit are of the pressurized water reactor (PWR) type. Units 1 and 2 are three-loop plants designed by Westinghouse; major components are sourced from foreign companies, while auxiliary components and construction work are performed in China. Units 3 and 4 are 80-loop plants of the CE two-loop system. Main components and structures are domestically processed under a technology transfer agreement. Units 5 and 6 are based on the Ulchin (now Hanul) standard nuclear power plant design, South Korea's OPR-1000 Unit 3.

Capacity: 5,700 MW

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, with a capacity of 6GW, located in Energodar, Ukraine, is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. The plant has an installed capacity of 5,700MW and a total capacity of 6,000MW. It currently stands as the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and the fifth largest in the world. Situated in Enerhodar, Ukraine, the plant features six VVER-1000 PWR units that were commissioned from 1984 to 1995. The 6GW Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, located in Energodar, Ukraine, is owned and operated by the Ukrainian state nuclear energy producer, NNEGC Energoatom.

Zaporizhzhia is one of four NPPs operating nationwide and generates up to 42 billion kWh of electricity, accounting for about 40% of the total electricity generated by all Ukrainian NPPs and one-fifth of Ukraine's annual electricity production. Operational since 1984, the plant has generated over 1.23 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity as of December 2021. Zaporizhzhia NPP comprises six pressurized water reactor (PWR) units commissioned from 1984 to 1995, with a total capacity of 1,000MW per unit. Zaporizhzhia is located on a 104.7ha site on the banks of the Kakhovka Reservoir. The Ukrainian Steppe region was chosen due to existing infrastructure at the nearby Zaporozhe Thermal Power Plant, land unsuitable for agriculture, and proximity to foreign territory.

Each power block of the plant consists of a VVER-1000/V-320 reactor, K-1000-60/1500-2 steam turbine, and TWW-1000-4 generator. The VVER-1000 designed by the Soviet Union is a PWR designed to operate for 30 years. In 2021, the fourth 750kV overhead line from the NPP to the Kakhovka substation was commissioned, and the outdoor switchyard of the Zaporizhzhia plant was expanded, reducing transmission constraints and allowing the Zaporizhzhia plant to produce an additional 17 million kWh of electricity per day.

Capacity: 6,232MW

Bruce Power Generating Station (BPGS) is the first private nuclear power plant in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest nuclear power plant in North America and the second largest in the world, with the first being Kashiwazaki-Kariwa located in Japan. Owned by Ontario Hydro, BPGS is situated on the shores of Lake Huron, 250 km northwest of Toronto. Constructed in stages from 1970 to 1987 by Ontario Hydro, it generates 20% of Ontario's electricity, enough to power every hospital, home, and school. Spanning over a 2,300-acre site, the plant consists of two generating stations, namely Bruce A and Bruce B. All reactors at Bruce A were temporarily shut down from 1995 to 1998 to focus on other resources of Ontario Hydro, while Bruce B reactors remained operational.

The Bruce Nuclear Power Plant in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada, is the second-largest nuclear power plant in the world. The 6,430MW nuclear facility is owned by Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and operated by Bruce Power. The plant is comprised of eight pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs) with a total capacity ranging from 786MW to 891MW. The last reactor of the Canadian NPP went into commercial operation in May 1987. Bruce 1 underwent an extended outage in 1997 and resumed operations in September 2012. Bruce 2 also restarted in October 2012 after a long outage in 1995. The plant's peak capacity was increased by 22MW to 6,430MW following the planned outage of Bruce 3 in July 2019.

Capacity: 5,908MW

Formerly known as Ulchin Nuclear Power Plant, Hanul Nuclear Power Plant, renamed in 2013, is South Korea's largest nuclear power plant. Located in Gyeongsangbuk-do province, this facility has an installed capacity of 6,157MW and is developed in two stages. The first stage comprises six units, namely Ulchin one through six, which commenced operations in 2005. The second stage includes two units, specifically Shin-Hanul one and two, currently under construction. Hanul-1 is equipped with a three-loop pressurized light water reactor. The reactor in unit one has an actual capacity of 945MW. Its construction began in January 1983 and was completed in September 1988.

Hanul-2 mirrors unit one and its construction began in July 1983. It commenced operation in September 1989. Unit two comprises a 942MW reactor. Hanul-3 comprises a two-loop pressurized light water reactor, entering operation in August 1998. It is South Korea's first Standard Nuclear Power Plant (KSNP) and features a 994MW reactor. Key features of the third unit include improved safety relief systems, mass and chemical control systems, as well as digital control systems.

Hanul Nuclear Power Plant currently has an installed capacity of 6,189MW and a net design capacity of 5,908MW, ranking as the third-largest NPP in the world. Phase one of the Hanul NPP was completed in 2005 with six pressurized water reactor (PWR) units. Two more reactors, Shin Hanul-1 and Shin Hanul-2, are being added to Hanul as part of the second plant development phase. The two new reactors will have an actual capacity of 1,350MW each, increasing the plant's total actual capacity to 8,608MW upon completion by late 2019. The plant's total capacity will increase to 8,989MW upon completion of phase two.

Capacity: 8,212 MW

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, owned by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) in Japan, is currently the world's largest nuclear power plant, with an actual capacity of 7,965MW. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa has seven boiling water reactors (BWR) with a total installed capacity of 8,212MW. The first five units have a total capacity of 1,100MW each while the sixth and seventh units have a capacity of 1,356MW each. With seven reactors, the plant owned and operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) can supply electricity to 16 million households. Spanning 4.2 km², it is located in the city of Kashiwazaki in Niigata Prefecture and the town of Kariwa, about 135 miles northwest of Tokyo, on the coast of Japan. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa is the world's fourth-largest electricity-generating plant after three hydroelectric plants, including Itaipu on the Brazil-Paraguay border, Three Gorges Dam in China, and Guri Dam in Venezuela.

The first unit of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant began commercial operation in September 1985, and the last unit commenced commercial operation in July 1997. Like all power plants in Japan, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa was built to strict standards for earthquake resistance. However, the 2007 earthquake caused the plant to leak radioactive material into the air and water. Nevertheless, operations at the plant were temporarily halted in May 2012 following the Fukushima nuclear disaster. TEPCO has been and is implementing measures at the plant to meet new safety guidelines set by Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority. All reactors at the plant were restarted in 2021.