Energy Shift
Who Is Building Nuclear Reactors?
Who Is Building Nuclear Reactors?
Nuclear power is back in the spotlight as countries look to supplement renewable energy sources with a reliable and clean source of power.
The 2010s were a decade of decline for nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima disaster in Japan. However, the recent push for clean energy is reviving the industry with several countries building new reactors, and others restarting or extending old ones.
The above infographic uses data from the World Nuclear Association to show the top 10 countries by nuclear capacity under construction as of July 2022.
How Many Nuclear Reactors Are In the World?
Before looking at under-construction figures, it’s important to contextualize the current nuclear reactor landscape.
There are roughly 440 nuclear reactors operating worldwide, generating around 10% of the world’s electricity annually.
Country | Number of operable reactors | Net capacity (MWe) |
---|---|---|
U.S. 🇺🇸 | 93 | 95,523 |
France 🇫🇷 | 56 | 61,370 |
China 🇨🇳 | 53 | 50,034 |
Russia 🇷🇺 | 37 | 27,727 |
Japan* 🇯🇵 | 33 | 31,679 |
South Korea 🇰🇷 | 24 | 23,091 |
India 🇮🇳 | 22 | 6,795 |
Canada 🇨🇦 | 19 | 13,624 |
Ukraine 🇺🇦 | 15 | 13,107 |
UK 🇬🇧 | 12 | 7,343 |
*Only 10 of Japan’s 33 operable reactors are currently operating.
In the U.S., 93 reactors generate more than 30% of the world’s nuclear power, more than any other nation. In France, nuclear plants are the main source of power, accounting for 70% of annual electricity generation.
China’s nuclear industry has expanded rapidly over the last decade. The number of reactors in China jumped from 13 in 2010 to 53 in 2021, accompanied by a roughly five-fold increase in nuclear generation capacity.
India is an outlier—its generation capacity is lesser than the UK despite having 10 more operating reactors. This is largely because 17 of India’s 22 reactors have less than 300 MWe of capacity and are considered “small”.
Overall, around 280 of the world’s 440 reactors are over 30 years old. While these reactors are still performing at high capacity, new reactors are being built to support the aging fleet.
The Top 10 Countries Building New Reactors
The majority of new nuclear reactors are being built in Asia, with China topping the list followed by India.
Country | Number of reactors under construction | Gross Capacity Under Construction, MWe |
---|---|---|
China 🇨🇳 | 21 | 23,511 |
India 🇮🇳 | 8 | 6,600 |
Turkey 🇹🇷 | 4 | 4,800 |
South Korea 🇰🇷 | 3 | 4,200 |
Russia 🇷🇺 | 3 | 2,810 |
UK 🇬🇧 | 2 | 3,440 |
UAE 🇦🇪 | 2 | 2,800 |
Japan* 🇯🇵 | 2 | 2,653 |
U.S. 🇺🇸 | 2 | 2,500 |
Bangladesh 🇧🇩 | 2 | 2,400 |
Ukraine* 🇺🇦 | 2 | 2,178 |
Slovakia 🇸🇰 | 2 | 942 |
France 🇫🇷 | 1 | 1,650 |
Brazil* 🇧🇷 | 1 | 1,405 |
Egypt 🇪🇬 | 1 | 1,200 |
Belarus 🇧🇾 | 1 | 1,194 |
Iran 🇮🇷 | 1 | 1,057 |
Argentina 🇦🇷 | 1 | 29 |
Total | 59 | 65,369 |
*Reactor construction is currently suspended in Japan, Ukraine, and Brazil.
China’s reliance on nuclear power is increasing as the economy transitions away from coal. With 21 reactors under construction, the country is set to expand its nuclear capacity by more than 40% before 2030. It’s also building the world’s first commercial small modular reactor (SMR), which will have the capacity to power more than 500,000 households annually.
Following China from afar is India, with eight reactors under construction that nearly double its generation capacity. While all reactors today are powered by uranium, India has an ambitious plan to develop a thorium-fueled reactor to reap its vast resources of thorium, a non-fissile radioactive material with the potential to be used as nuclear fuel.
Overall, the Asian continent (ex-Russia) accounts for 36 of the 59 reactors under construction. Meanwhile, Turkey is building four reactors including its first operational reactor, which is expected to come online in 2023.
As of July 2022, the largest under-construction reactors are in the UK with gross capacities of 1,720 MWe each. However, this may change as new constructions start with hundreds of reactors planned for construction across the globe.
Energy Shift
How Many New Mines Are Needed for the Energy Transition?
Copper and lithium will require the highest number of new mines.

How Many New Mines Are Needed for the Energy Transition?
Nearly 300 Mines
According to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, meeting global battery demand by 2030 would require 293 new mines or plants.
Mineral | 2024 Supply (t) | 2030 Demand (t) | Supply Needed (t) | No. of Mines/Plants | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lithium | 1,181,000 | 2,728,000 | 1,547,000 | 52 | Mine |
Cobalt | 272,000 | 401,000 | 129,000 | 26 | Mine |
Nickel | 3,566,000 | 4,949,000 | 1,383,000 | 28 | Mine |
Natural Graphite | 1,225,000 | 2,933,000 | 1,708,000 | 31 | Mine |
Synthetic Graphite | 1,820,000 | 2,176,000 | 356,000 | 12 | Plant |
Manganese | 90,000 | 409,000 | 319,000 | 21 | Plant |
Purified Phosphoric Acid | 6,493,000 | 9,001,000 | 2,508,000 | 33 | Plant |
Copper | 22,912,000 | 26,576,000 | 3,664,000 | 61 | Mine |
Rare Earths | 83,711 | 116,663 | 32,952 | 29 | Mine |
Copper, used in wires and other applications, and lithium, essential for batteries, will require the most significant number of new mines.
Manganese production would need to increase more than fourfold to meet anticipated demand.
Not an Easy Task
Building new mines is one of the biggest challenges in reaching the expected demand.
After discovery and exploration, mineral projects must go through a lengthy process of research, permitting, and funding before becoming operational.
In the U.S., for instance, developing a new mine can take 29 years.
In contrast, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Laos have some of the shortest development times in the world, at roughly 10 to 15 years.
Energy Shift
Visualizing Europe’s Dependence on Chinese Resources
Europe depends entirely on China for heavy rare earth elements, critical for technologies such as hybrid cars and fiber optics.

Visualizing Europe’s Dependence on Chinese Resources
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Despite efforts by European countries to reduce their reliance on China for critical materials, the region remains heavily dependent on Chinese resources.
This graphic shows the percentage of EU raw material supply sourced from China for 12 raw materials used in various industries. Bloomberg published this data in May 2024 based on European Commission research.
China’s Dominance in Clean Energy Minerals
Europe is 100% dependent on China for heavy rare earth elements used in technologies such as hybrid cars, fiber optics, and nuclear power.
Additionally, 97% of the magnesium consumed in Europe, for uses ranging from aerospace alloys to automotive parts, comes from the Asian country.
Raw Material | Percentage Supplied by China | Usage |
---|---|---|
Heavy rare earth elements | 100% | nuclear reactors, TV screens, fiber optics |
Magnesium | 97% | Aerospace alloys, automotive parts |
Light rare earth elements | 85% | Catalysts, aircraft engines, magnets |
Lithium | 79% | Batteries, pharmaceuticals, ceramics |
Gallium | 71% | Semiconductors, LEDs, solar panels |
Scandium | 67% | Aerospace components, power generation, sports equipment |
Bismuth | 65% | Pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, low-melting alloys |
Vanadium | 62% | Steel alloys, aerospace, tools |
Baryte | 45% | Oil and gas drilling, paints, plastics |
Germanium | 45% | Fiber optics, infrared optics, electronics |
Natural graphite | 40% | Batteries, lubricants, refractory materials |
Tungsten | 32% | Cutting tools, electronics, heavy metal alloys |
Almost 80% of the lithium in electric vehicles and electronics batteries comes from China.
Assessing the Risks
The EU faces a pressing concern over access to essential materials, given the apprehension that China could “weaponize” its dominance of the sector.
One proposed solution is the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act, which entered into force in May 2024.
The act envisions a quota of 10% of all critical raw materials consumed in the EU to be produced within the EU.
Additionally, it calls for a significant increase in recycling efforts, totaling up to 25% of annual consumption in the EU. Lastly, it sets the target of reducing dependency for any critical raw material on a single non-EU country to less than 65% by 2030.
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