Timeline · 1959
The world's nuclear fleet in 1959
In 1959, 17 nuclear reactors were operating in 4 countries, 604 MWe net, with 32 under construction.
Compared with 1958, the operating fleet grew by 5 reactors. 5 reactors were connected to the grid that year, 232 MWe, mostly in United Kingdom (4) and France (1). The countries with the most operating capacity were United Kingdom (362 MWe), Russia (105 MWe) and United States (91 MWe).
← Previous year, 1958 · Next year, 1960 → · See this year on the map · Today's rankings
Connected to the grid in 1959
| Unit | Country | Type | Model | MWe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcoule G2 |  France | GCR | unknown | 39 |
| Calder Hall 4 |  United Kingdom | GCR | Magnox | 49 |
| Chapelcross 1 | United Kingdom | GCR | Magnox | 48 |
| Chapelcross 2 | United Kingdom | GCR | Magnox | 48 |
| Chapelcross 3 | United Kingdom | GCR | Magnox | 48 |
Countries by operating capacity in 1959
| # | Country | Reactors | MWe | Under construction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Kingdom | 7 | 362 | 13 |
| 2 |  Russia | 3 | 105 | 2 |
| 3 |  United States | 5 | 91 | 7 |
| 4 | France | 2 | 46 | 3 |
| 5 |  Belgium | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 |  Canada | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 |  Germany | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 |  Italy | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 |  Slovakia | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 |  Sweden | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Data: Global Energy Monitor (CC BY 4.0), IAEA PRIS 2025, Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons. Capacities in net MWe unless stated.
Other years
1955 · 1960 · 1965 · 1970 · 1975 · 1980 · 1985 · 1990 · 1995 · 2000 · 2005 · 2010 · 2015 · 2020 · 2025 · 2026