Nuclear power production by country in 2020 - VC

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Visualizing Nuclear Power Production by Country Govind Bhutada

January 17, 2022

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Nuclear Power Production by Country Nearly 450 reactors around the world supply various nations with nuclear power, combining for about 10% of the world’s electricity, or about 4% of the global energy mix.

But while some countries are turning to nuclear as a clean energy source, nuclear energy generation overall has seen a slowdown since its peak in the 1990s.

The above infographic breaks down nuclear electricity generation by country in 2020 using data from the Power Reactor Information System (PRIS).

Ranked: The Top 15 Countries for Nuclear Power Just 15 countries account for more than 91% of global nuclear power production. Here’s how much energy these countries produced in 2020: Rank #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12

Country U.S. China France Russia South Korea Canada Ukraine Germany Spain Sweden U.K. Japan

Number of Operating Reactors

Nuclear Electricity Supplied [GWh]

% share

96

789,919

30.9%

50

344,748

13.5%

58

338,671

13.3%

39

201,821

7.9%

24

152,583

6.0%

19

92,166

3.6%

15

71,550

2.8%

6

60,918

2.4%

7

55,825

2.2%

7

47,362

1.9%

15

45,668

1.8%

33

43,099

1.7%

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Rank #13 #14 #15

Country India Belgium Czechia Rest of the World

Number of Operating Reactors

Nuclear Electricity Supplied [GWh]

% share

22

40,374

1.6%

7

32,793

1.3%

6

28,372

1.1%

44

207,340

8.1%

Total

448

2,553,208

100.0%

In the U.S., nuclear power produces over 50% of the country’s clean electricity.

Additionally, 88 of the country’s 96 operating reactors in 2020 received approvals for a 20-year life extension.

China, the world’s second-largest nuclear power producer, is investing further in nuclear energy in a bid to achieve its climate goals. The plan, which includes building 150 new reactors by 2035, could cost as much as $440 billion.

On the other hand, European opinions on nuclear energy are mixed. Germany is the eighth-largest on the list but plans to shutter its last operating reactor in 2022 as part of its nuclear phase-out. France, meanwhile, plans to expand its nuclear capacity.

Which Countries Rely Most on Nuclear Energy?

Although total electricity generation is useful for a high-level global comparison, it’s important to remember that there are some smaller countries not featured above where nuclear is still an important part of the electricity mix.

Here’s a breakdown based on the share of nuclear energy in a country’s electricity mix: Rank #1 #2 #3 #4 #5

Country France Slovakia Ukraine Hungary Bulgaria

Nuclear Share of Electricity Mix 70.6% 53.1% 51.2% 48.0% 40.8% 3

Rank #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20

Country Belgium Slovenia Czechia Armenia Finland Switzerland Sweden South Korea Spain Russia Romania United States Canada United Kingdom Germany

Nuclear Share of Electricity Mix 39.1% 37.8% 37.3% 34.5% 33.9% 32.9% 29.8% 29.6% 22.2% 20.6% 19.9% 19.7% 14.6% 14.5% 11.3%

European countries dominate the leaderboard with 14 of the top 15 spots, including France, where nuclear power is the country’s largest source of electricity.

It’s interesting to note that only a few of these countries are top producers of nuclear in absolute terms. For example, in Slovakia, nuclear makes up 53.6% of the electricity mix—however, the country’s four reactors make up less than 1% of total global operating capacity.

On the flipside, the U.S. ranks 17th by share of nuclear power in its mix, despite producing 31% of global nuclear electricity in 2020. This discrepancy is largely due to size and population. European countries are much smaller and produce less electricity overall than larger countries like the U.S. and China.

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The Future of Nuclear Power The nuclear power landscape is constantly changing.

There were over 50 additional nuclear reactors under construction in 2020, and hundreds more are planned primarily in Asia.

As countries turn away from fossil fuels and embrace carbon-free energy sources, nuclear energy might see a resurgence in the global energy mix despite the phase-outs planned in several countries around the globe.

In the 1970s – 1980s, France had the best planned and implemented nuclear power program. The United States had the largest nuclear power program.

In the 2020s, China has the most active and diverse nuclear power program and will clearly surpass all countries with the success of their program. Russia is very active in nuclear power technology development. The Chinese and Russian programs are well managed. The American and European nuclear programs are in disarray due to antinuclear power activism and poor political leadership. Canada has a very good program.

French Nuclear Power Station Penly with two identical operating plants to optimize staff, maintenance, and repair. All French nuclear power stations have pre-licensed extra sites for new construction or decommissioning. Excellent long-term planning. Not found elsewhere in the world.

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