How does nuclear fission make electricity?

During a nuclear fission reaction the smaller atoms don’t need as much binding energy to hold them together, so the extra energy is released as heat and radiation. In nuclear power stations, the heat caused by fission is used to boil water into steam. The steam is then used to turn a turbine that drives generators to make electricity.

Why do we need nuclear energy?

The UK’s electricity demands are currently met by a diverse energy mix – power generated in a number of ways: nuclear; fossil fuels like coal, gas and oil; and renewables like wind, solar and hydro. But there is a huge challenge ahead. The UK urgently requires new investment in energy infrastructure to replace old and polluting sources of electricity generation, and ensure we a have sufficient capacity in the mid-2020s. In addition, the UK has commited to end its contribution to global warming by 2050. So as much new electricity generation capacity as possible needs to be low carbon in order to help fight climate change. A future energy mix with a significant amount of low carbon nuclear generation alongside gas and renewables, will help deliver a secure low-carbon energy system at an affordable price, with flexibility to incorporate future technologies. Each source has its strengths and weaknesses. Fossil fuels, like gas and coal, are the biggest cause of CO2 emissions. So increasing electricity generation with these isn’t a long-term option. Renewable sources are low carbon but unpredictable and depend on specific climatic conditions. Nuclear power generation depends on a natural resource that is abundant in many places around the world. It has low ongoing running costs, produces electricity reliably and is very low-carbon. But the stations require big upfront investment to build and they produce radioactive material, which has to be safely managed. EDF believes the positives far outweigh the negatives, and that nuclear power is a key part of the mix.

Is nuclear energy clean?

We’re all aware of the threat that climate change poses to our planet. The energy sector has a key role to play. Meeting our targets depends on the UK moving to a lower carbon electricity mix and also using low-carbon electricity to play a greater role in transport and heating. We therefore need to increase the amount of electricity produced from low-carbon sources. Wind, solar, hydro and nuclear power generation produce close-to-zero carbon dioxide emissions. Nuclear power has one of the smallest carbon footprints of any energy source. In fact, most of the CO2 produced is done during the construction of the stations. The natural element used to create nuclear energy - uranium - is powerful stuff. A single uranium fuel pellet, which is about the size of a peanut, can produce as much energy as 800kg of coal.

Low-carbon nuclear energy

Q: What is nuclear energy?

Nuclear energy comes from the binding energy that is stored in the centre of an atom. The binding energy is what holds the atom together. To release the energy, the atom has to be split into smaller atoms. This process is called fission.

EDF is leading the transition to a cleaner, low emission electric future, tackling climate change and helping Britain achieve net zero. We are Britain’s biggest generator of zero-carbon electricity(1), meeting around one-fifth of the country’s demand and supplying millions of customers with electricity and gas.

Investing in nuclear power to help Britain achieve net zero

Around a fifth of the UK's electricity is generated by our eight nuclear power stations, helping power our customers' homes and businesses.

EDF is also leading the UK's nuclear renaissance with the construction of a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C, and plans for new power stations at Sizewell C in Suffolk and Bradwell B in Essex.

Nuclear power is the most affordable, low-carbon energy source currently available to the UK. EDF is playing a key role in the development of nuclear sites, while Hinkley Point C will provide low-carbon electricity to meet 7% of the UK demand. The project is already making a positive impact on the local and national economy as well as boosting skills and education.

In 2019 EDF's 8 nuclear power stations generated enough low carbon electricity for 49% of UK homes

Avoiding 17.8m tonnes of CO2 emissions*

Like taking 8.1m cars off UK roads for a year

*When compared to direct emissions of combined cycle gas turbines | all figures rounded to the nearest hundred thousand

Generating low-carbon electricity

What is nuclear energy?

Find out what nuclear energy is and how nuclear power is produced.

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Generating safe nuclear energy

Safety is our number one priority. Find out how we keep you, our employees and the environment safe from harm.

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The future of nuclear power

We’re investing in the next generation of nuclear power stations.

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What are the advantages of nuclear energy?

Nuclear energy is one of the most low-carbon energy sources, what are the other advantages?

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What does graphite do in a nuclear power station?

Graphite bricks play an important role in Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors.

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Nuclear lifetime management

EDF's lifetime strategy is to seek life extensions for all its nuclear stations, where it is safe and commercially viable.

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Visit a power station

Drop into one of our visitor centres, where we have interactive exhibitions to help you learn more about power generation. You can also book a free tour of any of our nuclear power stations.

Visit us

Watch video: Inspiring young people at Hinkley Point C

Inspiring the next generation

Inspire is Hinkley Point C’s education programme in Somerset and the wider South West region.

Find out more

Investing in renewable energy

We’re one of the UK’s leading renewable energy companies, owning 36 wind farms – including two off-shore.

Visit EDF Renewables

Notes

UK Fuel Mix disclosure information, published by Government Department BEIS, recognises electricity from wind, solar and nuclear fuel produces zero carbon dioxide emissions at the point of generation.

The zero-carbon electricity purchased is supplied into the National Grid. Customers receive electricity via the National Grid, not directly from zero-carbon generators.

The below table summarises zero-carbon generation by company demonstrating EDF generating 29.4%. The data supporting the table below and the % values is sourced from a mixture of industry settlement data and the UK government renewable obligation database.

ZERO-CARBON GENERATION SUMMARY BY COMPANY		2019	2019
Supplier name	zero-carbon	GWh of zero-carbon electricity generation	% of overall zero-carbon electricity generation
EDF	zero-carbon	42,233	29.4%
CENTRICA	zero-carbon	10,176	7.1%
RWE	zero-carbon	3,656	2.5%
E.on	zero-carbon	3,704	2.6%
SSE	zero-carbon	6,360	4.4%
ScottishPower	zero-carbon	4,609	3.2%
Drax	zero-carbon	13,573	9.5%
Orsted	zero-carbon	6,869	4.8%
EPH	zero-carbon	2,430	1.7%
Equinor	zero-carbon	1,091	0.8%
Vattenfall	zero-carbon	1,602	1.1%
Fred Olsen Renewables	zero-carbon	1,130	0.8%
Macquiearie	zero-carbon	371	0.3%
Ventient Energy	zero-carbon	594	0.4%
Statkraft	zero-carbon	403	0.3%
Eneco	zero-carbon	347	0.2%
Falck Renewables	zero-carbon	250	0.2%
RES	zero-carbon	305	0.2%
SGRE	zero-carbon	371	0.3%
Greencoat	zero-carbon	371	0.3%
Community Windpower	zero-carbon	371	0.3%
OTHER	zero-carbon	42,816	29.8%
TOTAL	zero-carbon	143,632	100%

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Low-carbon nuclear energy

Investing in nuclear power to help Britain achieve net zero

Generating low-carbon electricity

Notes