How Nuclear Energy Works
Nuclear power generates roughly one sixth of the electricity in the UK. England uses 16 operational nuclear reactors at nine power plants (14 of which are advanced gas cooled reactors (AGR), one pressurized water reactor (PWR)< and one Magnox), as well as a nuclear reprocessing plant at Sellafield. Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions that release nuclear energy, to generate heat, which most frequently is then used in steam turbines to produce electricity in a nuclear power station.
The term includes nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion. Presently, the nuclear fission of elements in the actinide series of the periodic table produce the vast majority of nuclear energy in the direct service of humankind, with nuclear decay processes, primarily in the form of geothermal energy, and radioisotope thermoelectric generators, in niche uses making up the rest.