Nearly half of the world’s nuclear power under construction is located in China. Its government has promoted nuclear power to shore up baseload capacity in the electricity sector and to help achieve its targets for carbon peaking before 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. China is approaching France in operational nuclear power capacity.
China is the largest generator of electricity in the world by far, with more than double the generation of the second-ranked country, the United States. So despite nuclear’s growth within China, its percentage share of generation is still much smaller than the corresponding global average, in large part because the “denominator” in the equation, total Chinese electricity demand, is so substantial. In addition, coal-fired power still accounts for well over half of all Chinese power generation.
Less than one-third of China’s planned nuclear capacity has begun construction, and China already has more cancelled nuclear capacity than any other country as a result of its pivot away from inland nuclear plants. By contrast, China has about two-thirds of the world’s utility-scale solar and wind power under construction, which, along with promising advancements in utility-scale battery technology, may reduce the need for continued additions of nuclear power.
China is emerging as a world leader in nuclear power, according to research from GEM’s Global Nuclear Power Tracker, which includes over 1,405 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear capacity from over 1,540 units worldwide. China’s total operational capacity of 58.1 GW is a close third behind France’s at 64.0 GW. Those two countries, plus the United States with its 102.5 GW in operation, account for well over half of the world’s operational nuclear capacity.
China surpasses France by count of operational nuclear power units, with 58 to France’s 56. China has consistently ranked above France in annual electricity generation from nuclear sources for four consecutive years. France’s 336 TWh of generation from nuclear made up 65%, or just under two-thirds, of its 514 TWh total generation. The United States generated 775 TWh from nuclear, accounting for just over 18% of its 4,249 TWh total power generation. But China’s 435 TWh of nuclear generation made up only 5%of its 9,462 TWh of total generation. The global average is 9% of electricity from nuclear power. Comparing the nuclear power fleets of China, France, and the United States – the top three countries by nuclear generation in 2023 – helps illustrate the different roles that nuclear plays in these countries’ energy profiles.
/Global Energy Monitor/