At the end of December 2023, global operational nuclear power capacity was 371.5 GW(e), provided by 413 reactors in 31 countries. Source: IAEA
While global nuclear power capacity has remained at a consistent level over the past decade, newly released data from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) suggests that more than two-thirds of the world’s nuclear reactors are more than 30 years old, and nearly a third have been in operation for 40 years.
According to the IAEA’s 2024 updates to the Nuclear Power Reactors in the World and Operating Experience with Nuclear Power Stations in Member States, released on Aug. 20, at the end of December 2023, global operational capacity stood at 371.5 GWe, provided by 413 reactors in 31 member states. This represents about 10% of the world’s electricity and a quarter of all low-carbon power generated last year. An additional 21.3 GWe from 25 reactors, though licensed for operation, remained in suspended operations throughout 2023, the agency said.
Global Nuclear Expansion Uneven, Asia Leads Capacity Growth Over the Past Decade
Overall, total reported production in 2023 reached 2,552.07 TWh, representing a modest 2.6% increase from 2022, the IAEA reported. However, growth has been uneven across different regions. More than 79% of capacity growth since 2013 has been centered in Asia. China, which currently holds a 56-reactor fleet (a combined 54.1 GWe), led the world’s nuclear capacity growth over the past decade, adding 40.02 GWe since 2013, the IAEA said. The data shows that another 27 reactors are currently under construction in China.
In 2023, for the fourth consecutive year, China surpassed France to become the world’s second-largest producer of nuclear energy despite holding a smaller fleet. In 2023, it produced 406 TWh. The U.S. remained the world’s nuclear production leader at the end of 2023, with 93 operational reactors producing 779.2 TWh of electricity—accounting for about 31% of global nuclear production. In 2023, Vogtle Unit 3 entered commercial operation on July 31, 2023, making it the country’s first new nuclear reactor online in more than 30 years. (Vogtle Unit 4 entered commercial operation on April 29, 2024, bringing the U.S. reactor total to 94 and furnishing it with a total capacity of 97 GWe.) At the end of 2023, France operated 56 nuclear reactors, a combined capacity of 61.4 GWe that produced 323.8 TWh.
Over Two-Thirds of Nuclear Reactors Exceed 30 Years of Operation
However, the IAEA notes that the world’s fleet is aging. About 67% of the operational reactor capacity—equivalent to 261.8 GWe from 295 reactors—has operated for over 30 years. Of these, 112.2 GWe from 142 reactors, or 29% of the total capacity, have operated for over 40 years. Additionally, 17.5 GWe from 28 reactors, accounting for 4% of the capacity, have been running for over 50 years.
“Nuclear power continues to be a large and indispensable source of low-carbon electricity,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. “But it’s also clear that we will need to extend the lives of existing reactors, replace retiring facilities with new ones, and add a lot of new capacity so that global climate change and energy security goals can be reached.”
The concern is especially significant given a goal launched by 20 countries at the December 2023 COP28 conference in Dubai to triple nuclear energy by 2050. The goal would entail expanding the current global nuclear capacity from 370 GW to 1,110 GW. Endorsing countries include the U.S., Armenia, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Ghana, Hungary, Jamaica, Japan, Republic of Korea, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine, UAE, and the UK. During the conference’s historic first Global Stocktake, 198 signatory countries called to accelerate the deployment of nuclear and other low-emission technologies for deep and rapid decarbonization, including hard-to-abate sectors.
In its reports, the IAEA noted that in 2023, 45 nuclear power reactors across 10 countries supplied 2,046.0 GWh of electrical equivalent of heat for non-electric applications. “The majority of this heat (88%) was utilized for district heating, totaling 1,799.1 GWh, in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, China, Hungary, Russia, Romania, Slovakia, and Switzerland. Industrial heating in India and Switzerland was supported by 211.8 GWh (10%) of electrical equivalent of heat, while 35.1 GWh (2%) was used for desalination,” it said.
Global Nuclear Fleet Performing at an Exceptional Level
Despite the challenges of aging infrastructure, the IAEA’s Operating Experience report indicates that the global nuclear fleet continues to perform at a high level, with a median capacity factor of 88%. “Boiling water reactors (BWR) and pressurized water reactors (PWR) have been the best-performing reactors since 2013, with median capacity factors of 89.3% and 82.7%, respectively,” the agency said. Primary causes of unplanned outages detailed in the report mainly include equipment-related failures. Still, they also include a variety of other causes such as inspections and maintenance, plant component testing, human factors, and, notably, nuclear regulatory requirements, grid limitations or unavailability, and fuel management limitations.
Last year, a total of 6 GWe of nuclear capacity was permanently retired. Five reactors were taken offline. Belgium’s 1-GWe Tihange-2 reactor, a PWR with over 40 years of operational history, was permanently shut down on February 1. On March 14, Taiwan, China, followed suit by shutting down Kuosheng-2, a BWR with a capacity of 985 MWe. Germany saw the most significant impact as it culminated its 12-year-long nuclear phaseout policy with the permanent shutdown of its last three operational reactors—Emsland (1,335 MWe), Isar-2 (1,410 MWe), and Neckarwestheim-2 (1,310 MWe)—on April 15.
However, the world added five new PWRs, a combined capacity of 5 GWe. In China, Fangchenggang-3, the first of two Hualong One demonstration reactors, was connected to the grid on Jan. 10, 2023. In Slovakia, the Mochovce-3 reactor, a water-water energetic reactor (VVER) V-213 model with a net electric capacity of 440 MWe, was connected to the grid on Jan. 31, 2023. In the U.S., Vogtle 3, a 1.1-GW AP1000 reactor, came online on March 31, 2023. January. In Belarus, the Belarusian-2 reactor model VVER V-491 (1,110 MW) was connected to the grid on May 13, 2023. And on Dec. 31, 2023, Shin-Hanul-2, a 1,340 MWe APR-1400 reactor in South Korea connected to the grid.
At the end of 2023, a total capacity of 61.1 GWe (59 reactors) was under construction in 17 countries, the IAEA noted. During the year, construction began on six PWR nuclear power reactors in China and Egypt with a total capacity of 6.8 GWe. Egypt kicked off construction at El Dabaa Unit 3, a 1,100-MWe VVER-1200 reactor. China began construction on four CAP1000 reactors: Haiyang-4 (1,161 MWe), Lianjiang-1 (1,224 MWe), Sanmen-4 (1,163 MWe), and Xudapu-1 (1,000 MWe). Additionally, construction began on one HPR1000 reactor, Lufeng-6 (1,116 MWe).
Source: Power Magazine