Nuclear production posts biggest decline in a decade

China is the second largest producer of nuclear electricity.

Global nuclear production declined by 4% year-on-year in 2022 to reach 2,546 net terawatt-hours of electricity, the steepest decline recorded in a decade, according to the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2023.

The report found that outside China, the second largest nuclear producer for the third year in a row, just behind the US, nuclear production fell by 5%, reaching a “level last seen in the mid-1990s.

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There are currently 407 reactors operating in the world as of mid-2023, with a total capacity of 365 gigawatts, down from 411 reactors in the same period last year.

Meanwhile, its contribution to the power mix in 2022 declined to 9.2%, with wind and solar together accounting for 11.7%, and all non-hydro renewables expanding their share to 14.4%.