Agneta Rising, Director General, World Nuclear Association
Last year saw the largest annual increase in nuclear energy capacity, worldwide, in more than 25 years, the World Nuclear Association (WNA) reported on Tuesday. The new capacity that came on line totalled 9 GWe and 2016 was the fourth year in a row in which global nuclear generation increased.
“The level of new build remains high, with 61 reactors under construction at the end of 2016,” observed WNA director-general Agneta Rising. “But the pace of new construction starts must accelerate to provide the reliable electricity needed to support global economic growth.”
The average time taken to build new nuclear power plants has been declining. The median construction time for reactors commissioned last year was a little more than six years.
However, actions will be necessary to allow nuclear energy to contribute fully to future clean energy supplies. These will be: setting up an effective safety paradigm; harmonising regulatory processes; and creating unbiased electricity markets.
Functioning nuclear reactors have displayed capacity factors around 80% for the past 20 years. Last year was no exception, with an average capacity of 80.5% achieved. This shows their high levels of performance, noted the WNA.
The aim of the global nuclear industry is to see the construction of 1 000 GWe of new nuclear power plants by 2050. This would mean that nuclear would be providing 25% of the world’s electricity by that time.
The WNA is the global association for the nuclear industry. It seeks to develop a better understanding of nuclear energy, contribute to the global debate about energy, produce authoritative information, develop common positions for the industry, and promote the expansion of the nuclear industry. The WNA published its 'World Nuclear Performance Report 2017' on Tuesday.