IAEA releases statistics

Global: The International Atomic Energy Agency has released its 2002 statistics on nuclear power generation, which show that nine countries now depend on nuclear power for over 40% of their electricity, compared to seven in 2001. In addition, 18 countries depend on nuclear power for over 25% of their electricity, compared to 15 in 2001.

The total amount of electricity generated by 441 operating power reactors in 31 countries was 2574TWh, an increase of 1% on 2001. Capacity increased by 1.5% to 358.7GWe. Six new reactors (four in China – Qinshan 2-1, a 610MWe PWR, Qinshan 3-1, a 655MWe PHWR, Ling Ao 1, a 938MWe VVER, and Ling Ao 2, a 938MWe PWR; one in the Czech Republic, Temelin 2, a 912MWe VVER; and one in South Korea, Yonggwang 6, a 950MWe PWR), totalling 5013MWe, were connected to the grid during 2002.

Construction started work in 2002 on seven new reactors, six in India and 1 in North Korea (Kaiga 3, a 202MWe PHWR; Kaiga 4, a 202MWe PHWR; Rajasthan 5, a 202MWe PHWR; Rajasthan 6, a 202MWe PHWR; Kudankulam 1, a 905MWe VVER; Kudankulam 2, a 905MWe VVER, all in India; and LWR – Project 1, a 1040MWe PWR in North Korea). This brought the number of new reactors under construction to 32.

Four reactors, two in Bulgaria and two in the UK, shut down in 2002.

The ten countries with the highest reliance on nuclear power in 2002 were: · Lithuania – 80.1%.

· France – 78%.

· Slovakia – 65.4%.

· Belgium – 57.3%.

· Bulgaria – 47.3%.

· Ukraine – 45.7%.

· Sweden – 45.7%.

· Slovenia – 40.7%.

· Armenia – 40.5%.

· Switzerland – 39.5%.