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Visualizing Nuclear Power Production by Country

Energy Shift

Visualizing Nuclear Power Production by Country

Published

3 years ago

on

January 17, 2022

By

Govind Bhutada

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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.

Related Topics:china electricity France Germany india japan nuclear nuclear energy nuclear power nuclear reactors Pakistan united states

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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.

Published

1 week ago

on

September 29, 2024

By

Bruno Venditti

The total copper per vehicle is projected to decrease by 38 kg between 2015 and 2030.

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.

Energy Shift

Visualizing the Rise in Global Coal Consumption

China remains the largest coal consumer, making up 56% of the global total.

Published

3 weeks ago

on

September 16, 2024

By

Bruno Venditti

In this graphic, we show global coal consumption by region from 1965 to 2020.

Visualizing the Rise in Global Coal Consumption

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 to decarbonize the economy, global coal consumption surpassed 164 exajoules for the first time in 2023. The fossil fuel still accounts for 26% of the world’s total energy consumption.

In this graphic, we show global coal consumption by region from 1965 to 2023, based on data from the Energy Institute.

China Leads in Coal Consumption

China is by far the largest consumer of coal, accounting for 56% of the global total, with 91.94 exajoules in 2023.

It is followed by India, with 21.98 exajoules, and the U.S., with 8.20 exajoules. In 2023, India exceeded the combined consumption of Europe and North America for the first time.

Regionally, North America and Europe have seen a decline in coal consumption since the 1990s, while the Asia-Pacific region experienced a surge in demand during the same period.

Year	Asia Pacific (Exajoules)	North America	Europe	Rest of the World	Total World
2013	114.14	19.48	15.86	11.47	160.95
2014	115.74	19.39	14.88	11.68	161.62
2015	115.00	16.89	14.24	11.11	157.25
2016	113.21	15.55	13.74	11.35	153.85
2017	115.67	15.30	13.29	11.23	155.50
2018	119.05	14.50	12.98	11.34	157.87
2019	121.94	12.49	11.06	11.45	156.95
2020	121.91	9.97	9.57	10.82	152.27
2021	127.75	11.24	10.44	11.12	160.56
2022	129.80	10.54	10.02	11.18	161.53
2023	135.70	8.83	8.39	11.11	164.03