Why do nuclear power plants produce so much energy?

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If nuclear power plants boil water to turn a turbine to make energy then why do they make more energy than a coal power plant that does the same?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

They produce the same amount of energy per turbine. Nuclear power plants just have much more energy dense fuel.

Anonymous 0 Comments

A side note that might be the source of OP’s question:

There are small powerplants powered by coal and gas, but there are no small nuclear power plants (aside from military ships or russian icebreakers)

The reason is that nuclear energy requires a lot of safety features, and scaling down the size does not make safety any cheaper or easier. So if you are paying for safety, you might as well make the biggest reactor that is feasible.

In military, the cost of safety is justified by not having to refuel, or at least not nearly as often as with fossil fuels. For nuclear submarines, extra advantage is not needing air. A nuclear sub can stay underwater for a month. Non-nuclear sub has to go up for air after a few hours.