Explore Nuclear

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the world’s central intergovernmental forum for cooperation in the nuclear field.

The primary cooling circuit of Pressurised Water Reactors is under extreme pressure requiring very thick and sturdy pipework.

A reactor is filled to the brim with control instrumentation which monitors every aspect of the reactor’s operation.

Nuclear energy generates the lowest greenhouse gas emissions of all major energy sources.

A worker inspects the reactor loading face. 

Americium-241 is used as a sealed alpha-emitting source in smoke detectors.

Pseudo-scientific beauty and medical products made with radioactive materials used to be sold under the false pretence of health benefits.

Our ‘Journeys through Nuclear’ section makes it easy to learn about nuclear using a simple to follow, step-by-step format.

Containment buildings prevent radioactive release, act as radiation shielding, and protect the reactor from external threats.

Workers move about the area above the opened reactor pressure tank. The area was often used for monitoring or assembling experimental equipment.

Uranium is not the only nuclear fuel. Other fissile elements like Plutonium or even fuel mixtures can be used for energy generation.

Radiotherapy uses radiation to target and kill cancerous cells. The materials used are typically made in a nuclear reactor.

Our ‘Comics’ page lets you go on various illustrated adventures through the history, science, and technology of nuclear energy.

Decommissioning is the process of shutting down, cleaning up, and dismantling a nuclear power station.

Atomic weapons release so much energy that temperatures over 100 million degrees Celsius can be reached during the reaction.

Reactor No. 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded on the 26th of April 1986.

France used nuclear energy to generate almost 80% of its total energy between the mid 90s and the mid 2010s.

Otto Hahn and Lise Meitner are two of the four scientists credited with discovering fission in December of 1938.

Our careers quiz lets you quickly and easily find the ideal job for you in the nuclear industry.

Nuclear fuel continues to generate heat after fission stops. This is due to the natural radioactivity of the material.

Boilers turn water into steam using heat from the reactor. Heat that cannot be extracted from the steam is later rejected into the atmosphere using the cooling towers.

A tsunami caused extensive damage to Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant on the 11th of March 2011, eventually leading to the release of radioactive material into the environment.

Fuel rods and fuel assemblies can be enormous. They are typically up to 4 metres long.

Calder Hall was the world’s first full-scale nuclear power station when it was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1956.

Huge steam turbines are used to convert heat into rotational energy. The rotational energy is converted to electricity by generators.

Nuclear fuel typically contains around 5% of the fissile U-235 isotope. Natural uranium only contains about 0.7% of this isotope.

A nuclear submarine can remain submerged for months, limited only by the crew’s food supply and psychological endurance.

The containment building is the third layer of containment, enclosing the reactor and typically also the primary cooling circuit.

Various well known automotive manufacturers created concepts for nuclear-powered cars.

Our ‘Museum’ section lets you immerse yourself in the incredible moments and items that define the industry.