London: Nuclear reactors worldwide generated 2667 TWh of electricity in 2024, surpassing the previous record of 2660 TWh set in 2006, according to the World Nuclear Performance Report 2025.
According to Emirates News Agency, the latest edition of the annual report produced by the London-based World Nuclear Association (WNA) revealed that the average capacity factor increased to 83%. The capacity factor measures how much electricity is produced as a percentage of what could be produced if a power plant operated at full power non-stop for the entire year.
One notable finding of the report is that there is no decline in the performance of reactors as they age, with over 60% of reactors achieving a capacity factor of more than 80%. The increase in global nuclear generation over the past decade is largely attributed to Asia, which accounts for 56 of the 68 reactors commissioned. Of the 70 reactors currently under construction, 59 are located in the region.
Sama Bilbao y Le³n, Director General of World Nuclear Association, remarked, "The new record electricity generation from nuclear energy in 2024 is a testament to the industry. To meet our global energy and climate goals, it is a record that needs to be bettered again and again, every year, by increasingly larger amounts."
During 2024, seven reactors were connected to the grid, including Zhangzhou 1 in China, Vogtle 4 in the USA, and Barakah 4 in the UAE. Meanwhile, construction began on nine more reactors, including Chashma 5 in Pakistan and El Dabaa 4 in Egypt.
Four reactors were permanently shut down in 2024. These included Kursk 2 in Russia, Pickering 1 and 4 in Canada, and Maanshan 2 in Taiwan, which was closed as part of the Taiwanese government phase-out policy.
Jonathan Cobb, senior programme lead, climate, at World Nuclear Association, expressed optimism for future records. He stated on the World Nuclear News podcast that as the reactors currently under construction become grid-connected over the next five to six years, global nuclear capacity and total nuclear generation should continue to rise. Despite some closures of older plants, Cobb noted that there is no age-related decline in reactor performance.