World’s Largest Plant

It shouldn't be surprising that not all nuclear power plants are constructed the same way and that some are bigger than others given that there are over 400 of them in the world. Japan is home to the largest plant in the world, the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa power station. The facility has seven reactors and produces 8,212 megawatts of electricity. That powers 16 million homes with electricity.

The factory experienced an earthquake in 2007, but officials decided that there was minimal damage. The region was hit by a 6.9 earthquake three years prior, but the reactors kept operating throughout, with only one reactor eventually shutting down when an aftershock temporarily tripped an alert. In order to strengthen the structure, the foundation of the plant's fourth story is fastened underwater into bedrock and sand. This is due to Japan's tectonic plate positioning, which makes it very earthquake prone.