The generation game
Since the first commercial nuclear power station was opened in the UK in 1956, reactor designs have evolved considerably.
Although the distinction between designs is not clear cut, the US Department of Energy (DOE) categorized this in terms of four generations when it
started contemplating building new reactors in the mid to late 1990s. The early Magnox plants, many of which are still in use, were dubbed
Generation I, while their successors in the 1970s and 1980s – the light-water reactors (LWRs) – were called Generation II. These make up the bulk
of today's nuclear power stations worldwide, and more are likely to be built. Generation III designs, which are similar to Generation II reactors but
with enhanced safety features, are ready to be built, while some countries are pursuing slightly more advanced "Generation III+" designs.
Longer-term Generation IV designs – of which the DOE has selected six – are in the early stages, but they promise much cleaner and more
economical nuclear power towards the middle of the century.
Source: DOE