Energy: Share of nuclear power in the electricity mix is decreasing - yet the number of new projects is growing
The importance of nuclear power is declining, also driven by the global solar boom. However, in view of the global energy crisis, more and more countries are changing their stance on nuclear power.
The share of nuclear power in the global electricity mix is decreasing, but the number of new projects is growing. This is according to the latest "World Nuclear Industry Status Report" (WNISR), which is released once a year. While the global net electricity generation from nuclear power increased by 1% in 2025, this growth is almost entirely due to massive expansion in China.
Outside of Asia's largest economy, nuclear energy production is falling. The share of nuclear power in the global electricity mix has dropped to its lowest level in 45 years at 8.8%. The report notes that more reactors were taken offline than came online last year. Four new plants were under construction in China, India, and Russia, while seven reactors were shut down, including some in Belgium.
Despite a shrinking number of plants, nuclear energy production did not decrease and even slightly increased due to the larger capacity of the new reactors compared to their predecessors. The authors of the WNISR write that the net balance between commissioning and decommissioning reactors was slightly positive, at over 1.5 GW.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
