Nuclear Power

 

Electricity is essential to sustain our modern lifestyle. Nuclear energy is a relatively common energy source for producing electricity. It is as safe and reliable as other commonly found energy sources, and has a low environmental impact, offering a useful contribution to fuel diversity in the world.

There are currently over 400 commercial nuclear power generating units operating in 30 countries, supplying about 10% of the world electricity.

Thirteen countries depend on nuclear power for at least a quarter of their electricity:

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Around three quarters

  • France
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Around half

  • Hungary
  • Slovakia
  • Ukaine
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Around one third

  • Bulgaria
  • Belgium
  • Slovenia
  • Czech Republic​
  • Armenia
  • Finland
  • Switzerland
  • Sweden
  • South Korea

World Nuclear Power Reactors as of September 2021

  Nuclear Electricity Generation 2020            Reactors Operable                       Reactors Under Construction       
TWh % No    MWe(net) No                  MWe (gross)
Argentina                 10.0 7.5 3 1641 1 29
Armenia 2.6 34.5 1 415 0 0
Bangladesh 0 0 0 0 2 2400
Belarus 0.3 1.0 1 1110 1 1194
Belgium 32.8 39.1 7 5942 0 0
Brazil 13.2 2.1 2 1184 1 1405
Bulgaria 15.9 40.8 2 2006 0 0
Canada 92.2 14.6 19 13,624 0 0
China 344.7 4.9 51 49,569 18 18,741
Czech Republic 28.4 37.3 6 3934 0 0
Finland 22.4 33.9 4 2794 1 1720
France 338.7 70.6 56 61,370 1 1650
Germany 60.9 11.3 6 8113 0 0
Hungary 15.2 48.0 4 1902 0 0
India 40.4 3.3 23 6885 7 5650
Iran 5.8 1.7 1 915 1 1057
Japan 43.0 5.1 33 31,679 2 2756
South Korea 152.6 29.6 24 23,150 4 5600
Mexico 10.9 4.9 2 1552 0 0
Netherlands 3.9 3.3 1 482 0 0
Pakistan 9.6 7.1 6 2332 1 1100
Romania 10.6 19.9 2 1300 0 0
Russia 201.8 20.6 38 28,578 3 2810
Slovakia 14.4 53.1 4 1837 2 942
Slovenia 6.0 37.8 1 688 0 0
South Africa 11.6 5.9 2 1860 0 0
Spain 55.8 22.2 7 7121 0 0
Sweden 47.4 29.8 6 6882 0 0
Switzerland 23.0 32.9 4 2960 0 0
Turkey 0 0 0 0 3 3600
Ukraine 71.5 51.2 15 13,107 2 1900
UAE 1.6 1.1 2 2690 2 2800
United Kingdom 45.9 14.5 13 7833 2 3440
US
789.9 19.7 93 95,523 2 2500
World* 2553 c 10.1** 442 394,537 56 61,294

Source: World Nuclear Association; September 2021

 

Note

1. Building/Construction = first concrete for reactor poured, or major refurbishment under way

2. MWe = Megawatt net capacity

* World figures include Taiwan, which generated a total of 30.3 TWh from nuclear in 2020 (accounting for 12.7% of Taiwan's total electricity generation). The island has three operable reactors with a combined net capacity of 2859 MWe. A two-unit plant (Lungmen) commenced construction in New Taipei City in 1999. In February 2019 Taipower confirmed that the two units would not be completed  and  were removed from WNA's database on 1 September 2020.

** International Energy Agency data for year 2018 (latest available).