Countries are working on rely more on nuclear: who are the top 10

Eleven years after the Fukushima disaster, which occurred due to the earthquake in Japan and led to the decline in reliance on nuclear, nuclear is re-emerging as a solution in light of the energy and climate crisis, and it is receiving renewed attention in many Western and Middle Eastern countries, although the ambitions differ among them.

And in a gesture of great symbolism, Japan itself intends to launch a workshop to build new stations. Knowing that Japan has more than experienced the horrors of nuclear power and lived the horror of losing control of it.

Other countries also changed their position after they took the path of abandoning nuclear energy, including Belgium, which intends to extend the work of two reactors for a period of ten years.

In Germany, which was supposed to close the last three remaining stations by the end of 2022, a taboo was broken when climate minister Robert Habeck, an environmentalist, announced since February that it might be appropriate to postpone the shutdown in light of the war in Ukraine.

Berlin is waiting to receive new studies on its electrical system in light of the needs of the winter season, to make its decision.

The top 10 countries working on building new nuclear reactors and wanting to lead in this field:

1: China (the expected electrical capacity from operating the new reactors is 23,511 megawatts).

China is building 21 new reactors including the world’s first commercial small modular reactor (SMR).

2: India (the expected electric capacity from operating the new reactors is 6600 MW).

In 2008, India was freed from restrictions on its nuclear sector, after concluding an agreement with the United States that enabled it to obtain foreign technology and raw materials for its nuclear program, for the first time in three decades.

Third: Türkiye (the expected electric power from operating the new reactors is 4800 MW).

Türkiye’s desire to build a nuclear power plant on its territory dates back to the fifties and sixties of the last century. 

In 1955 Türkiye became one of the first countries to sign the “Agreement on Cooperation on the Civil Uses of Atomic Energy”.

A few weeks ago, Türkiye began the construction of the fourth and final reactor for the first nuclear power plant that Russia is building on the Mediterranean coast.

Fourth: South Korea (the expected electric power from operating the new reactors is 4200 megawatts).

Prime Minister Han Duk-soo stressed that nuclear energy in South Korea will occupy an important place in the country’s paths, as one of the tools to ensure energy security and achieve carbon neutrality. 

He said Seoul will adopt plans to properly blend nuclear and renewable energy to achieve carbon neutrality, he confirmed in video remarks to the World Climate Conference and World Economic Forum hosted by US President Joe Biden, Friday, June 17.

Fifth: Russia (the expected electric capacity from operating the new reactors is 2810 MW).

In 2021, there were 439 nuclear reactors in operation around the world, 38 of which were in Russia, an additional 42 reactors were manufactured using Russian nuclear reactor technology, and another 15 reactors under construction at the end of 2021 were built using Russian technology.

Sixth: Britain (the expected electric power from operating the new reactors is 3,440 megawatts).

Seventh: The United Arab Emirates (the expected electric power from operating the new reactors is 2,800 megawatts).

When the two nuclear reactors under construction are operational, the UAE’s Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant will cover 25% of the country’s electricity needs.

Eighth: Japan (the expected electric power from operating the new reactors is 2,653 megawatts).

Ninth: The United States (the expected electric power from operating the new reactors is 2500 megawatts).

Tenth: Bangladesh (the expected electric power from operating the new reactors is 2,400 megawatts).