Global operable nuclear capacity exceeded 400 GWe for the first time on 27 October 2018 with the first supply of electricity to the grid from Tianwan 4, a VVER-1000 unit in China's Jiangsu province.
Tianwan 4 is the ninth reactor to be completed this year, seven of which have been built in China and two in Russia.
The strong growth of nuclear generation in China is highlighted in the ‘World Nuclear Performance Report 2018 Asia Edition’, launched at the Singapore International Energy Week conference. Launching the report at the SIEW conference, World Nuclear Association director general Agneta Rising commented: “The number of new reactors scheduled to start up in 2018-19 is the highest in nearly 30 years. Two thirds of these reactors will be Asian countries. More and more countries are choosing to use nuclear energy as part of their sustainable energy mix because it provides a 24/7 supply of clean and affordable electricity. Reactors are under construction in UAE, Bangladesh, Turkey and Belarus, soon to join the 30 countries already using nuclear power”.
In 2017 a total of 480 TWh of electricity generated in Asia was from nuclear power. This was 7% higher than the previous year. Nuclear generation in Asia now represents 18.5% of the global total. The amount of electricity generated by nuclear power in Asia is twice that of 30 years ago.
