"According to the IAEA’s data summary, nuclear power in 2020 played an important role as an adaptable and reliable supplier of electricity during the pandemic:
- Global operating nuclear power capacity was 392.6 GWe from 442 operational reactors in 32 countries.
- Overall, nuclear capacity since 2011 has gradually increased, including some 23.7 GWe added by the connection of new units to the grid and upgrades to existing reactors.
- Nuclear power reactors supplied 2,553.2 TWh of low-emission and dispatchable electricity, accounting for about 10 percent of total global electricity generation and almost one third of the world’s low-carbon electricity generation.
- Nuclear power production was slightly lower compared to 2019’s 2,657.1 TWh. Since 2012, however, there has been an increase of more than 8 percent.
- Five new pressurized water reactors with 5.5 GWe of nuclear capacity were connected to the grid.
- Over 44 percent of new capacity, equating to more than 2.4 GWe, was added by two countries with no previous nuclear power operating experience: Belarusian 1 (1,110 MWe) in Belarus and Barakah-1 (1,345 MWe) in the United Arab Emirates.
- At the end of the year, 52 reactors with over 54.4 GWe of capacity were under construction in 19 countries, including in two countries building their first power reactors.
- The global median capacity factor was 84.6 percent, in line with the load factor in recent years."
Bob Meinetz
Top Contributor
IAEA: nuclear power was "resilient, reliable, and adaptable" during COVID outbreak
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