ENERGY AND TRANSPORTATION • ENERGY REQUIREMENT

NUCLEAR ENERGY

In 2009 nuclear energy provided nearly 22% of total electricity Comparability supply in OECD countries. However, the use of nuclear Some generation data are provisional and may be subject to energy varies widely. In all, 18 of the 34 OECD countries use revision. Generation data for Japan are for the fiscal year. nuclear energy at present, with ten generating one-third or more of their power from this source in 2009. Collectively, OECD countries produce about 83% of the world’s nuclear Nuclear electricity generation energy. The remainder is produced in 12 non-OECD Terawatt hours, 2009 economies. 798.7 847.7 Definition 400 375 The table gives the nuclear electricity generation in terawatt 350 hours (TWh) in each of the OECD member countries and in 325 selected non-OECD countries. The chart shows the 300 percentage share of nuclear in total electricity generation, in 275 each country and in the OECD as a whole. 250 The table also provides information on the number of 225 nuclear power plants in operation and under construction 200 as of 1 June 2011. 175 150 125 100 75 50 25 0

1 2 http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888932535014 Overview Nuclear energy expanded rapidly in the 1970s and 1980s, but in the last 20 years only small numbers of new nuclear power plants have entered operation. The role of nuclear energy in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and in increasing energy diversification and security of supply has been increasingly recognised over the last few years, leading to renewed interest in building new nuclear plants in several countries. However, the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan following a major earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 has led some countries to review their nuclear programmes. Nuclear capacity may thus grow more slowly than had been expected, at least over the next few years. Much of the future growth in nuclear capacity is expected to be in non-OECD countries. China in particular has begun a rapid expansion of nuclear capacity, starting construction of 10 Sources additional units during 2010. India and the Russian Federation • NEA (2010), Nuclear Energy Data, OECD Publishing. also have several new plants under construction. Among • Data for non-OECD countries provided by the International OECD countries, Finland, France, Japan, Korea, the Slovak Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Republic and the United States all presently have one or more nuclear plant under construction, while Poland and Turkey Further information are actively planning their first nuclear units. Analytical publications The analysis in the Nuclear Energy Technology Roadmap, prepared jointly by the International Energy Agency and • International Energy Agency (IEA) (2010), Energy Technology Nuclear Energy Agency, indicates that, as part of a scenario to Perspectives, IEA, Paris. limit global temperature rise to two degrees, nuclear • IEA, Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) (2010), Technology generating capacity could rise from 374 GW at present to Roadmap: Nuclear Energy, IEA Technology Roadmaps, IEA, around 1 200 GW by 2050, supplying almost 25% of global Paris. electricity. This would be a major contribution to cutting the • NEA (2010), The Security of Energy Supply and the Contribution emissions of greenhouse gases from the electricity supply of Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Development, OECD Publishing. sector. However, uncertainties remain concerning the • NEA, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (2010), successful construction and operation of the next generation Uranium 2009: Resources, Production and Demand, of nuclear plants, public and political acceptance of nuclear OECD Publishing. energy, and the extent to which other low-carbon energy sources are successfully developed. Websites • Nuclear Energy Agency, www.oecd-nea.org.

134 OECD FACTBOOK 2011 © OECD 2011 ENERGY AND TRANSPORTATION • ENERGY REQUIREMENT

NUCLEAR ENERGY

Nuclear electricity generation and nuclear power plants

2009 Number, as at 1 June2011

As a percentage of total electricity Terawatt hours Plants connected to the grid Plants under construction generation Australia - - - - Austria - - - - Belgium 45.0 51.7 7 - Canada 85.3 14.8 17 - Chile - - - - Czech Republic 25.7 35.8 6 - Denmark - - - - Estonia - - - - Finland 22.6 33.1 4 1 France 390.0 75.1 58 1 Germany 127.8 22.8 17 - Greece - - - - Hungary 14.6 44.9 4 - Iceland - - - - Ireland - - - - Israel - - - - Italy - - - - Japan 263.0 29.2 50 2 Korea 141.0 34.7 21 5 Luxembourg - - - - Mexico 10.1 4.4 2 - Netherlands 3.9 3.2 1 - New Zealand - - - - Norway - - - - Poland - - - - Portugal - - - - Slovak Republic 13.1 54.4 4 2 Slovenia 5.5 38.2 1 - Spain 50.5 17.5 8 - Sweden 50.0 37.4 10 - Switzerland 26.1 39.2 5 - Turkey - - - - United Kingdom 62.9 17.9 19 - United States 798.7 20.2 104 1 EU27 total 847.7 27.3 143 6 OECD total 2 135.8 21.8 338 12 Brazil 13.0 2.9 2 1 China 70.1 1.9 14 27 India 14.7 2.2 20 5 Indonesia - - - - Russian Federation 153.0 17.8 32 11 South Africa 11.6 4.8 2 -

1 2 http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888932504899

Nuclear electricity generation As a percentage of total electricity generation, 2009 80

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1 2 http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888932504918

OECD FACTBOOK 2011 © OECD 2011 135 From: OECD Factbook 2011-2012 Economic, Environmental and Social Statistics

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Please cite this chapter as:

OECD (2011), “Nuclear energy”, in OECD Factbook 2011-2012: Economic, Environmental and Social Statistics, OECD Publishing, Paris.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1787/factbook-2011-50-en

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