In World

The history of nuclear energy started over fifty years ago and has been evolving quite rapidly. Here are some of the world’s most important nuclear energy events:

• 2 December 1942, the world’s first nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1, was commissioned in Chicago (USA) under the supervision of Enrico Fermi.
• In 1950-1960, first-generation reactors were constructed. Currently, reactors of this type are operating in the UK only.
• 30 March 1953, the first nuclear-powered military sea-fleet submarine, “Nautilus”, was tested in the USA.
• In 1954, operation of the first experimental 5 MW nuclear power plant was started in Obninsk located not far from Moscow.
• In 1957, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) under the United Nations Organization (UNO) was established.
• On 25 March 1957, the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM). was signed in Rome.
• In the first half of 1960, small nuclear generators for the first time started supplying electricity for the remote water supply stations and marine navigation for the first time.
• On the night of 25 to 26 April 1986, an accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant took place, during which one reactor was ruined. In December 1986, this reactor was covered with a concrete and steel sarcophagus.
• In 1996, the first third-generation reactor was built in Japan.
• In 2003, construction of the third unit of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant was started in Finland.  The world started declaring a commencement of “Nuclear Energy Renaissance”.
• It is forecasted that around the year 2040 first fourth-generation nuclear reactors should appear. This development will be a great advancement, since the fourth-generation reactors will generate significantly smaller amounts of radioactive waste. The forecasts suggest that there will be a possibility to reuse almost all used nuclear fuel (up to 95–97 per cent) generated by energy reactors of previous generations.