Energy Shift
Visualizing Nuclear Power Production by Country
Nuclear Power Production by Country
Nearly 450 reactors around the world supply various nations with nuclear power, combining for about 10% of the world’s electricity, or about 4% of the global energy mix.
But while some countries are turning to nuclear as a clean energy source, nuclear energy generation overall has seen a slowdown since its peak in the 1990s.
The above infographic breaks down nuclear electricity generation by country in 2020 using data from the Power Reactor Information System (PRIS).
Ranked: The Top 15 Countries for Nuclear Power
Just 15 countries account for more than 91% of global nuclear power production. Here’s how much energy these countries produced in 2020:
Rank | Country | Number of Operating Reactors | Nuclear Electricity Supplied [GWh] | % share |
---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | U.S. 🇺🇸 | 96 | 789,919 | 30.9% |
#2 | China 🇨🇳 | 50 | 344,748 | 13.5% |
#3 | France 🇫🇷 | 58 | 338,671 | 13.3% |
#4 | Russia 🇷🇺 | 39 | 201,821 | 7.9% |
#5 | South Korea 🇰🇷 | 24 | 152,583 | 6.0% |
#6 | Canada 🇨🇦 | 19 | 92,166 | 3.6% |
#7 | Ukraine 🇺🇦 | 15 | 71,550 | 2.8% |
#8 | Germany 🇩🇪 | 6 | 60,918 | 2.4% |
#9 | Spain 🇪🇸 | 7 | 55,825 | 2.2% |
#10 | Sweden 🇸🇪 | 7 | 47,362 | 1.9% |
#11 | U.K. 🇬🇧 | 15 | 45,668 | 1.8% |
#12 | Japan 🇯🇵 | 33 | 43,099 | 1.7% |
#13 | India 🇮🇳 | 22 | 40,374 | 1.6% |
#14 | Belgium 🇧🇪 | 7 | 32,793 | 1.3% |
#15 | Czechia 🇨🇿 | 6 | 28,372 | 1.1% |
Rest of the World 🌎 | 44 | 207,340 | 8.1% | |
Total | 448 | 2,553,208 | 100.0% |
In the U.S., nuclear power produces over 50% of the country’s clean electricity. Additionally, 88 of the country’s 96 operating reactors in 2020 received approvals for a 20-year life extension.
China, the world’s second-largest nuclear power producer, is investing further in nuclear energy in a bid to achieve its climate goals. The plan, which includes building 150 new reactors by 2035, could cost as much as $440 billion.
On the other hand, European opinions on nuclear energy are mixed. Germany is the eighth-largest on the list but plans to shutter its last operating reactor in 2022 as part of its nuclear phase-out. France, meanwhile, plans to expand its nuclear capacity.
Which Countries Rely Most on Nuclear Energy?
Although total electricity generation is useful for a high-level global comparison, it’s important to remember that there are some smaller countries not featured above where nuclear is still an important part of the electricity mix.
Here’s a breakdown based on the share of nuclear energy in a country’s electricity mix:
Rank | Country | Nuclear Share of Electricity Mix |
---|---|---|
#1 | France 🇫🇷 | 70.6% |
#2 | Slovakia 🇸🇰 | 53.1% |
#3 | Ukraine 🇺🇦 | 51.2% |
#4 | Hungary 🇭🇺 | 48.0% |
#5 | Bulgaria 🇧🇬 | 40.8% |
#6 | Belgium 🇧🇪 | 39.1% |
#7 | Slovenia 🇸🇮 | 37.8% |
#8 | Czechia 🇨🇿 | 37.3% |
#9 | Armenia 🇦🇲 | 34.5% |
#10 | Finland 🇫🇮 | 33.9% |
#11 | Switzerland 🇨🇭 | 32.9% |
#12 | Sweden 🇸🇪 | 29.8% |
#13 | South Korea 🇰🇷 | 29.6% |
#14 | Spain 🇪🇸 | 22.2% |
#15 | Russia 🇷🇺 | 20.6% |
#16 | Romania 🇷🇴 | 19.9% |
#17 | United States 🇺🇸 | 19.7% |
#18 | Canada 🇨🇦 | 14.6% |
#19 | United Kingdom 🇬🇧 | 14.5% |
#20 | Germany 🇩🇪 | 11.3% |
European countries dominate the leaderboard with 14 of the top 15 spots, including France, where nuclear power is the country’s largest source of electricity.
It’s interesting to note that only a few of these countries are top producers of nuclear in absolute terms. For example, in Slovakia, nuclear makes up 53.6% of the electricity mix—however, the country’s four reactors make up less than 1% of total global operating capacity.
On the flipside, the U.S. ranks 17th by share of nuclear power in its mix, despite producing 31% of global nuclear electricity in 2020. This discrepancy is largely due to size and population. European countries are much smaller and produce less electricity overall than larger countries like the U.S. and China.
The Future of Nuclear Power
The nuclear power landscape is constantly changing.
There were over 50 additional nuclear reactors under construction in 2020, and hundreds more are planned primarily in Asia.
As countries turn away from fossil fuels and embrace carbon-free energy sources, nuclear energy might see a resurgence in the global energy mix despite the phase-outs planned in several countries around he globe.
Electrification
Visualizing China’s Cobalt Supply Dominance by 2030
Chinese companies are expected to control 46% of the cobalt supply by 2030.
Visualizing China’s Cobalt Supply Dominance by 2030
Chinese dominance over critical minerals used in technologies like smartphones, electric vehicles (EVs), and solar power has become a growing concern for the U.S. and other Western countries.
Currently, China refines 68% of the world’s nickel, 40% of copper, 59% of lithium, and 73% of cobalt, and is continuing to expand its mining operations.
This graphic visualizes the total cobalt supply from the top 10 producers in 2030, highlighting China’s dominance. The data comes from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, as of July 2024.
Cobalt production (tonnes) | Non-Chinese Owned Production | Chinese Owned Production | 2030F (Total) | 2030F (Share) |
---|---|---|---|---|
🇨🇩 DRC | 94,989 | 109,159 | 204,148 | 67.9% |
🇮🇩 Indonesia | 23,288 | 25,591 | 48,879 | 16.3% |
🇦🇺 Australia | 7,070 | 0 | 7,070 | 2.4% |
🇵🇭 Philippines | 5,270 | 0 | 5,270 | 1.8% |
🇷🇺 Russia | 4,838 | 0 | 4,838 | 1.6% |
🇨🇦 Canada | 4,510 | 0 | 4,510 | 1.5% |
🇨🇺 Cuba | 4,496 | 0 | 4,496 | 1.5% |
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 541 | 3,067 | 3,608 | 1.2% |
🇹🇷 Turkey | 2,835 | 0 | 2,835 | 0.9% |
🇳🇨 New Caledonia | 2,799 | 0 | 2,799 | 0.9% |
🌍 ROW | 10,336 | 1,901 | 12,237 | 4.1% |
Total | 160,974 | 139,718 | 300,692 | 100.0% |
China’s Footprint in Africa
Cobalt is a critical mineral with a wide range of commercial, industrial, and military applications. It has gained significant attention in recent years due to its use in battery production. Today, the EV sector accounts for 40% of the global cobalt market.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) currently produces 74% of the world’s cobalt supply. Although cobalt deposits exist in regions like Australia, Europe, and Asia, the DRC holds the largest reserves by far.
China is the world’s leading consumer of cobalt, with nearly 87% of its cobalt consumption dedicated to the lithium-ion battery industry.
Although Chinese companies hold stakes in only three of the top 10 cobalt-producing countries, they control over half of the cobalt production in the DRC and Indonesia, and 85% of the output in Papua New Guinea.
Given the DRC’s large share of global cobalt production, many Chinese companies have expanded their presence in the country, acquiring projects and forming partnerships with the Congolese government.
According to Benchmark, Chinese companies are expected to control 46% of the global cobalt mined supply by 2030, a 3% increase from 2023.
By 2030, the top 10 cobalt-producing countries will account for 96% of the total mined supply, with just two countries—the DRC and Indonesia—contributing 84% of the total.
Energy Shift
Visualizing the Decline of Copper Usage in EVs
Copper content in EVs has steadily decreased over the past decade, even as overall copper demand rises due to the increasing adoption of EVs.
Visualizing the Decline of Copper Usage in EVs
Copper intensity in passenger battery electric vehicles (BEVs) has steadily decreased over the last decade, driven by numerous technological advancements alongside increasing usage of alternative materials such as aluminum.
In this graphic, we visualize the evolution of copper demand in various subcomponents of passenger battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from 2015 to 2030F, along with total global copper demand driven by EVs for the same period. This data comes exclusively from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.
Copper Intensity Per Car
According to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, the copper intensity per vehicle is expected to decline by almost 38 kg, from 99 kg in 2015 to 62 kg by 2030.
Year | Wiring | Motor | Copper Foil | Busbar | Auxiliary Motor | Charging Cable | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | 30 | 8 | 41.26 | 13.23 | 2.87 | 3.96 | 99.32 |
2016 | 29 | 8 | 38.68 | 13.37 | 2.85 | 3.92 | 95.82 |
2017 | 28 | 7 | 32.67 | 12.72 | 2.84 | 3.90 | 87.13 |
2018 | 27 | 7 | 26.39 | 11.87 | 2.82 | 3.88 | 78.96 |
2019 | 26 | 7 | 28.00 | 10.85 | 2.78 | 3.82 | 78.45 |
2020 | 25 | 7 | 24.71 | 10.24 | 2.73 | 3.76 | 73.44 |
2021 | 24 | 6 | 25.27 | 9.29 | 2.69 | 3.70 | 70.95 |
2022 | 23 | 7 | 28.44 | 8.56 | 2.65 | 3.64 | 73.29 |
2023 | 22 | 7 | 29.87 | 8.12 | 2.61 | 3.58 | 73.18 |
2024F | 21 | 7 | 27.73 | 7.67 | 2.56 | 3.52 | 69.48 |
2025F | 20 | 7 | 27.79 | 7.19 | 2.52 | 2.51 | 67.01 |
2026F | 20 | 7 | 27.78 | 6.63 | 2.48 | 3.41 | 67.30 |
2027F | 19 | 8 | 27.55 | 6.15 | 2.44 | 3.35 | 66.49 |
2028F | 18 | 8 | 26.77 | 5.70 | 2.40 | 3.30 | 64.17 |
2029F | 18 | 8 | 26.17 | 5.51 | 2.39 | 3.28 | 63.35 |
2030F | 17 | 8 | 25.63 | 5.44 | 2.37 | 3.26 | 61.70 |
One of the most significant factors driving this decline is thrifting, where engineers and manufacturers continuously improve the efficiency and performance of various components, leading to reduced copper usage. A key example of this is in battery production, where the thickness of copper foil used in battery anodes has significantly decreased.
In 2015, Benchmark estimated copper foil usage was just over 41 kg per vehicle (at an average thickness of 10 microns), but by 2030, it is projected to fall to 26 kg as manufacturers continue to adopt thinner foils.
Similarly, automotive wiring systems have become more localized, with advances in high-voltage wiring and modular integration allowing for reduced copper content in wiring harnesses.
Copper used in wiring has dropped from 30 kg per vehicle in 2015 to a projected 17 kg by 2030.
Newer, more compact power electronics and improved thermal management in motors and charging cables have also contributed to the reduction in copper usage.
Substitution has also played a role, with alternatives such as aluminum increasingly being used in components like busbars, wiring harnesses, and charging cable applications.
Aluminum’s lighter weight and lower cost have made it a practical alternative to copper in specific applications, though the additional space required to achieve the same level of conductivity can limit its use in certain cases.
Benchmark estimates that copper used in automotive wire harnesses has declined by 30% between 2015 and 2024.
The Road Ahead
Despite reductions in per-vehicle copper usage, the outlook for copper demand from the EV sector remains strong due to the sector’s growth.
Year | EV Sector Copper Demand (tonnes) |
---|---|
2015 | 56K |
2016 | 82K |
2017 | 111K |
2018 | 166K |
2019 | 179K |
2020 | 237K |
2021 | 447K |
2022 | 696K |
2023 | 902K |
2024F | 1.0M |
2025F | 1.2M |
2026F | 1.5M |
2027F | 1.7M |
2028F | 2.0M |
2029F | 2.2M |
2030F | 2.5M |
Benchmark’s analysis indicates that by 2030, copper demand driven by EVs alone will exceed 2.5 million tonnes, securing copper’s critical role in the transition to a low-carbon future.
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