BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 5. Global total nuclear capacity added in 2023 was 5.5 GW, marking a 30-percent decrease from 2022, Trend reports.
According to the estimations made by the International Energy Agency (IEA), nuclear power is currently contributing 9 percent to global electricity generation.
In 2023, five new nuclear reactors commenced operations, each in Belarus, China, Korea, the Slovak Republic, and the US.
Over the last five years, 28 reactors in 10 countries, with a combined capacity of 30.5 GW, began operations.
As the IEA noted, these nuclear reactors collectively prevent over 160 Mt of CO2 emissions annually, primarily by displacing coal-fired and natural gas-fired power.
Meanwhile, emerging markets and developing economies contributed three-quarters of the new nuclear capacity brought online from 2019 to 2023, accounting for around 80 percent of the global total emissions avoided.
China, over the past five years, led with the addition of 11 GW of nuclear power, representing one-third of the global total. The UAE initiated operations at its first three reactors, and new reactors also became operational in Belarus, India, Pakistan, and Russia.