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60% of the world’s newly built nuclear power units are in China and Russia

Broadcast United News Desk

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Global nuclear power generation capacity will hit a record high in 2024 after a lapse of 5 years. With the rapid increase in electricity demand due to the popularization of artificial intelligence (AI) and decarbonization, the revival trend of nuclear power that does not emit carbon dioxide and has stable output is strengthening. China and Russia account for 60% of the newly built nuclear power units in the past 10 years, and their technological strength is also improving. As maintenance costs rise, the European and American governments are strengthening their support for the development of nuclear energy.

    

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Chinese version: Nikkei Chinese website) has compiled the statistics of the Japan Atomic Energy Association and the current operating conditions. As of June, there were 436 nuclear power units in the world with a generating capacity of approximately 416 million kilowatts, exceeding the previous highest in 2018 (414.45 million kilowatts).




   

In June 2024, a total of four units (totaling about 4.53 million kilowatts) were put into operation in China, the United States, South Korea, and India. In the past 10 years, about 70 new nuclear power units were built, and the power generation capacity increased by about 6%.

China and Russia have driven the construction of new nuclear power units. China has built 39 new units, increasing its power generation capacity by about four times. In May 2024, China’s 56th nuclear power unit was put into operation, tying with France, which ranks second in the world in terms of the number of nuclear power units in operation. Russia, which ranks fourth in the world in terms of the number of operational nuclear power units, is also constantly building new nuclear power units, with 9 of the 33 operational nuclear power units put into operation in the past 10 years.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that global electricity demand will increase to about twice its current level by 2050. The popularization of AI will lead to a surge in electricity demand for data centers. As we move toward decarbonization, renewable energy will become more popular, but nuclear power is being re-evaluated as a stable clean energy source.




China has developed a domestically produced nuclear power unit, the Hualong 1, and is promoting construction in various regions (the Hualong 1 unit that has been put into operation in Fujian Province, the picture comes from the official social media of the nuclear power plant)

Companies will also invest. In May, Electricite de France (EDF) acquired the nuclear power steam turbine equipment business from GE Vernova of the United States, which was involved in power generation equipment, except for some businesses.

At the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in 2023, 22 countries, mainly Europe, the United States and Japan, proposed a goal of tripling the installed capacity of nuclear power units to about 1.2 billion kilowatts by 2050 compared to 2020. The policy was proposed to maximize the use of nuclear energy together with renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gases.

To achieve the goal, more than 600 new nuclear power units will be built, but future new construction plans are only about 160 worldwide. The previous trend away from nuclear power has weakened the supply chain and failed to smoothly advance construction.

Copyright Statement: All rights reserved by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. Any unauthorized reproduction or partial copying is prohibited and violators will be prosecuted.

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