China and Russia drive global nuclear power capacity to record high

With as many reactors as France, China is building more while pursuing new tech

The Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant in China's Fujian province. China has built 39 reactors over the past decade. (Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant)

NATSUKI YAMAMOTO, Nikkei staff writer

August 22, 2024 02:12 JST

TOKYO -- Global nuclear power generating capacity has reached an all-time high, with China and Russia accounting for most of the world's new reactors.

There were 436 operational nuclear reactors worldwide as of June, according to the nonprofit Japan Atomic Industrial Forum and other data sources. Combined capacity was roughly 416 gigawatts, surpassing the previous record of 414 GW logged in 2018.