Timeline · 1978

The world's nuclear fleet in 1978

In 1978, 214 nuclear reactors were operating in 25 countries, 105.2 GWe net, with 188 under construction.

Compared with 1977, the operating fleet grew by 15 reactors. 20 reactors were connected to the grid that year, 16,437 MWe, mostly in Japan (5), United States (5) and France (2). 1 unit was permanently shut down, 197 MWe. The countries with the most operating capacity were United States (52,096 MWe), Japan (10,973 MWe) and Germany (6,950 MWe).

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Connected to the grid in 1978

Unit	Country	Type	Model	MWe
Bruce A4	Canada	PHWR	CANDU 750A	807
Olkiluoto 1	Finland	BWR	ASEA-III, BWR-2500	890
Bugey 2	France	PWR	CP0	910
Bugey 3	France	PWR	CP0	910
KNK II	Germany	FBR	—	17
Unterweser	Germany	PWR	KWU	1,345
Caorso	Italy	BWR	BWR-4 Mark2	860
Fugen	Japan	HWLWR	ATR	148
Fukushima Daiichi 4	Japan	BWR	BWR-4	760
Hamaoka 2	Japan	BWR	BWR-4	806
Ohi 2	Japan	PWR	Westinghouse (4-loop)	1,120
Tokai 2	Japan	BWR	BWR-5	1,060
Bohunice 1	Slovakia	PWR	KS 150	408
Jinshan 2	Taiwan	BWR	BWR-4	604
Chernobyl 2	Ukraine	LWGR	RBMK-1000	925
Arkansas Nuclear One 2	United States	PWR	CE (DRY)	988
Donald C Cook 2	United States	PWR	WH 4-Loop (ICECOND)	1,168
Edwin I Hatch 2	United States	BWR	BWR-4 (Mark 1)	883
North Anna 1	United States	PWR	WH 3-Loop (DRY)	948
Three Mile Island 2	United States	PWR	B & W (DRY)	880

Shut down in 1978

Unit	Country	Type	Model	MWe	Grid connection
Dresden 1	United States	BWR	BWR-1	197	1960

Countries by operating capacity in 1978

#	Country	Reactors	MWe	Under construction
1	United States	70	52,096	55
2	Japan	18	10,973	7
3	Germany	14	6,950	15
4	United Kingdom	33	6,688	6
5	Russia	21	5,798	11
6	Canada	9	4,691	9
7	France	13	4,286	29
8	Sweden	6	4,044	4
9	Belgium	4	1,862	4
10	Switzerland	3	1,103	2
11	Spain	3	1,067	5
12	Bulgaria	2	816	2
13	Ukraine	1	740	5
14	Taiwan	1	604	4
15	South Korea	1	576	2
16	Italy	3	563	1
17	Netherlands	2	537	—
18	Finland	1	507	3
19	India	3	434	5
20	Armenia	1	376	1
21	Argentina	1	340	1
22	Pakistan	1	90	—
23	Kazakhstan	1	52	—
24	Puerto Rico	1	18	—
25	Panama	1	10	—
26	Brazil	0	0	2
27	Hungary	0	0	2
28	Iran	0	0	1
29	Lithuania	0	0	2
30	Mexico	0	0	2
31	Philippines	0	0	1
32	Slovakia	0	0	4
33	Slovenia	0	0	1
34	South Africa	0	0	2