Released September 13, 2021 | GALWAY, IRELAND
en
Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Nuclear power was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 with a 4% reduction in output for the year.
Nuclear reactors generated a total 2,553 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2020, down from 2,657 TWh in 2019, according to the latest World Nuclear Performance Report released by the World Nuclear Association. The decrease was "strongly influenced" by the overall fall of around 1% in global electricity demand in 2020 caused by the pandemic, explained the Association's Director General, Sama Bilbao y León.
"In any other year an almost 4% decline in nuclear generation would be an unequivocal disappointment," León said. "However, in 2020, with overall electricity demand falling by around 1% and nuclear reactors increasingly being called upon to provide load-following support to the increased share of variable renewable generation, the resilience and flexibility shown by the global nuclear fleet tell a very positive story."
He added: "Despite some reactors curtailing generation to account for reduced demand or to offer load-following services, the global capacity factor in 2020 was still high at 80.3%, down from 83.1% in 2019, but maintaining the high performance seen over the last 20 years. At the end of 2020 there were 441 operable nuclear reactors, with a combined capacity of 392 gigawatts (GW). This total capacity has remained almost unchanged for the last three years."
Five new reactors started up in 2020, but this increase in capacity was countered by the closure of six reactors. Between 2018 and 2020 there have been 26 reactors permanently shutdown with a total capacity of 20.8 GW, compared to 20 new reactors starting up, with a total capacity of 21.3 GW.
Industrial Info is tracking 72 grassroot nuclear power projects and 62 unit addition projects worth an estimated US$430 billion and US$350 billion, respectively. In terms of project spending across all types of nuclear projects, from new builds and expansions to maintenance, upgrades and dismantling, Asia leads the world with US$391 billion, followed closely by Europe at US$367 billion, with a large gap to North America in third on US$107 billion.
León emphasised the role that nuclear has to play in the future energy mix. "With global electricity demand expected to rebound sharply, there is a real risk that greenhouse gas emissions will do so as well, as they did following the recovery from the economic collapse in 2008. More than half of the reactors permanently shutdown in the last few years have done so not because of technical limitations, but because of political phase-out policies or the failure of markets to adequately recognize the value of low carbon reliable nuclear power. This is a loss of low-carbon generation that the world can ill-afford to squander."
"However, there are promising signs for nuclear. Already in 2021 we have seen four new reactors connected to the grid and construction started on seven new reactors, although two reactors have permanently shutdown. It is vital that nuclear generation bounces back further and faster, helping displace fossil fuels, thus avoiding a sharp rise in greenhouse gas emissions."
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn.
Nuclear reactors generated a total 2,553 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2020, down from 2,657 TWh in 2019, according to the latest World Nuclear Performance Report released by the World Nuclear Association. The decrease was "strongly influenced" by the overall fall of around 1% in global electricity demand in 2020 caused by the pandemic, explained the Association's Director General, Sama Bilbao y León.
"In any other year an almost 4% decline in nuclear generation would be an unequivocal disappointment," León said. "However, in 2020, with overall electricity demand falling by around 1% and nuclear reactors increasingly being called upon to provide load-following support to the increased share of variable renewable generation, the resilience and flexibility shown by the global nuclear fleet tell a very positive story."
He added: "Despite some reactors curtailing generation to account for reduced demand or to offer load-following services, the global capacity factor in 2020 was still high at 80.3%, down from 83.1% in 2019, but maintaining the high performance seen over the last 20 years. At the end of 2020 there were 441 operable nuclear reactors, with a combined capacity of 392 gigawatts (GW). This total capacity has remained almost unchanged for the last three years."
Five new reactors started up in 2020, but this increase in capacity was countered by the closure of six reactors. Between 2018 and 2020 there have been 26 reactors permanently shutdown with a total capacity of 20.8 GW, compared to 20 new reactors starting up, with a total capacity of 21.3 GW.
Industrial Info is tracking 72 grassroot nuclear power projects and 62 unit addition projects worth an estimated US$430 billion and US$350 billion, respectively. In terms of project spending across all types of nuclear projects, from new builds and expansions to maintenance, upgrades and dismantling, Asia leads the world with US$391 billion, followed closely by Europe at US$367 billion, with a large gap to North America in third on US$107 billion.
León emphasised the role that nuclear has to play in the future energy mix. "With global electricity demand expected to rebound sharply, there is a real risk that greenhouse gas emissions will do so as well, as they did following the recovery from the economic collapse in 2008. More than half of the reactors permanently shutdown in the last few years have done so not because of technical limitations, but because of political phase-out policies or the failure of markets to adequately recognize the value of low carbon reliable nuclear power. This is a loss of low-carbon generation that the world can ill-afford to squander."
"However, there are promising signs for nuclear. Already in 2021 we have seen four new reactors connected to the grid and construction started on seven new reactors, although two reactors have permanently shutdown. It is vital that nuclear generation bounces back further and faster, helping displace fossil fuels, thus avoiding a sharp rise in greenhouse gas emissions."
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn.
