One way of seeing the situation

March 10, 2014

Emerging economies rely on nuclear power

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140310_25.html

Tuesday marks 3 years since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident began.

Despite the accident, many emerging economies are building nuclear plants to meet growing demand for electricity.

The International Atomic Energy Agency says 435 operable reactors exist in 31 countries and region.

The United States has 100 of them. France follows with 58 and Japan 48. All reactors in Japan have gone offline after the Fukushima accident.

Other countries with a large number of reactors include Russia with 33 and South Korea 23. China and India each has 21.

The British-based World Nuclear Association says 70 reactors are under construction worldwide. Of them, 28 are in China.

The association also says 28 countries plan to build 173 reactors by 2030.

China again comes on top with 58, followed by Russia with 31 and India 18.

The Fukushima accident has raised public concerns about nuclear safety. Germany, Switzerland and other European countries have begun taking steps to reduce reliance on nuclear power.

Mar. 10, 2014 - Updated 06:52 UTC