Nuclear power station. Cooling towers at the Belleville nuclear power station, Cosne-sur-Loire, France. A local market and leisure activities are taking place on the banks of the nearby river (foreground). Cooling towers are used to dispose of waste heat from power stations. Heated water, which is sprayed into the cooling towers from the base, is seen evaporating as water vapour (top). Nuclear power stations obtain energy from uranium and plutonium fuel by controlled nuclear fission reactions. The Belleville nuclear power station began operating in 1987, and generates 1310 megawatts of power. Photographed in 2004.