Nuclear power generation: Record production expected in 2025

As indicated in the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) recent report, ‘The Road to a New Era for Nuclear Energy’, it is anticipated that 2025 will witness a record production of electricity generated by nuclear power. The report forecasts that nuclear energy will account for approximately 10% of the global total. The report also states that over 70 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity are being built worldwide, one of the highest levels in the last 30 years. In 2023, nuclear power generation amounted to 2,742 TWh (terawatt hours) and is estimated to have reached 2,843 TWh in 2024, with a projected increase to around 2,900 TWh by 2025. This growth is driven by electricity use for diverse applications, including industry, air conditioning, electric vehicles, and data centres, amidst the expanding use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Fatih Birol, the IEA’s executive director, has stated that nuclear energy is entering a new era, and in 2025, nuclear power generation will reach an all-time high.