This is a picture of Hartlepool nuclear power station. It works by having the nuclei of uranium atoms split when neutrons are fired at them. This process is called fission. When a nucleus splits, it releases thermal energy which heats up a material called the coolant. The coolant transfers thermal energy into water by conduction between pipes. The water boils to make steam which drives a turbine. A much advertised advantage of nuclear power is that nothing burns so no carbon dioxide or sulphur dioxide are released as chemical pollution into the air. A disadvantage is that radioactive waste is produced that will be dangerous for thousands of years. At the moment, this is sent to Sellafield to be treated and stored. This nuclear power station generates 1, 190 Megawatts of electrical power. If you were asked to compare nuclear power to wind power, they both have in common that they do not release chemical pollution into the air. I found some data that claims that there are 4366 wind turbines on land in the UK and that they generate 7,172 Megawatts of electrical power. http://www.renewableuk.com/en/renewable-energy/wind-energy/uk-wind-energy-database/index.cfm Clearly this depends on the weather and how much the wind is blowing. Just so you know, peak demand for electrical power in the UK is 60,000 Megawatts (60 Gigawatts).
