Power Generation

Nuclear technology was discovered in the 1940s, and later in the 1950s, attention turned to using nuclear fission core rods for power generation. Currently, about 10% of the world's electricity is generated by 440 nuclear reactors; 56 more reactors are under construction in 15 countries, equivalent to 15% of the existing capacity.

In 2021, nuclear plants supplied 2,653 TWh of electricity, up from 2,553 TWh in 2020.

World electricity production by source, 2021 (Source: International Energy Agency)

Nuclear power outweighs other sources on the merits stated below:

• Nuclear is Low-Carbon

Nuclear power plants produce no greenhouse gas emissions during operation, and throughout their life cycle, nuclear produces about the same amount of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions per unit of electricity as wind and one-third of the emissions per unit of electricity when compared with solar.

Experts have concluded that to achieve the deep decarbonization required to keep the average rise in global temperatures below 1.5°C, combating climate change would be much harder without an increased role for nuclear power. Because nuclear power is reliable and can be deployed on a large scale, it can directly replace fossil fuel plants, avoiding the combustion of fossil fuels for electricity generation. Nuclear energy today avoids emissions roughly equivalent to removing one-third of all cars from the world’s roads.

• Highest Capacity Factor

Nuclear energy has the highest capacity factor compared to other energy sources. A plant with a capacity factor of 100% means it's consistently producing power. Nuclear has the highest capacity factor of any other energy source—producing reliable, carbon-free power more than 92% of the time in 2021.

U.S. Capacity factor by energy source - 2022 (Source: U.S Energy Information Administration)

• More Reliable

Nuclear power plants require less maintenance and are designed to operate for longer stretches before refueling, usually every 18 to 24 months.

Natural gas and coal capacity factors are generally lower due to routine maintenance and refueling at these facilities.

Renewable plants are considered intermittent or variable sources as they are limited by weather conditions (i.e. wind, sun, or water). As a result, these plants need a backup power source such as large-scale storage or can be absorbed with a reliable baseload power like nuclear energy.

Thirteen countries in 2020 produced at least one-quarter of their electricity from nuclear power. France gets around 70% of its electricity from nuclear energy, while Ukraine, Slovakia, Belgium, Hungary, and the province of Ontario in Canada, get about half from nuclear power. Japan used to rely on nuclear power for more than one-quarter of its electricity and is expected to return to somewhere near that level.

Nuclear generation by country 2023 (source: IAEA PRIS)