Capacity reductions and permanent shutdowns. In 2021, 10 reactors with a total capacity of 8.7 GWe have been definitively shut down. A large part of this decrease in capacity (5.1 GWe) is due to the final shutdown of three reactors in Germany, Brokdorf (PWR, 1,410 MWe), Grohnde (PWR, 1,360 MWe), Gundremmingen-C (BWR , 1,288 MWe), and three reactors in the UK, Dungeness B-1 and B-2 (RRG, 545 MWe each) and Hunterston B-1 (RRG, 490 MWe). Pakistan’s first nuclear reactor, Kanupp-1 (RELP, 985 MWe), connected to the grid more than 50 years ago, has been shut down. The Russian Kursk-1 reactor (REOMG, 925 MWe) was shut down following 45 years of operation, then the Chinese Kuosheng-1 reactor (REB, 985 MWe).
Types of reactors in service. Fin 2021, 89.9% of operating nuclear reactors were light water moderated and cooled, 6.2% were heavy water moderated and cooled, 1.9% were graphite moderated and light water cooled and 1.6% were gas. The remainder (0.4%) were liquid metal cooled fast neutron reactors with a total capacity of 1.4 GWe. In 2021, the Shidao Bay-1 reactor was commissioned in China. With a total capacity of 200 MWe, this pebble-bed modular reactor is a new type of gas-cooled high-temperature modular reactor.
Non-electrical applications. In 2021, 61 nuclear reactors in 10 countries produced 2,167.2 GWh of electrical equivalent heat for non-electrical applications of nuclear energy. More than 89% of these applications were in Europe, where 54 reactors (40.6 GWe) generated 3,007.4 GWh of electrical equivalent heat for district heating and process heating. The remaining 11% was in Asia, where 7 reactors (4.5 GWe) produced 249 GWh of electrical equivalent heat for water desalination and industrial heating.
Operational life. By the end of 2021, global operating experience in 67 years exceeded 19,170 reactor-years, from 637 reactors with a total capacity of 485.4 GWe in 35 countries, including 199 with a capacity of 95.8 GWe, have been definitively shut down.
Currently, 289 reactors with a total capacity of 257 GWe, or nearly 66% of the world’s nuclear power generation capacity, have been in service for more than 30 years, 117 reactors with a total capacity of 91.2 GWe, more than 23% of the world’s capacity, have been in service for more than 40 years, and 13 reactors with a total capacity of 7.3 GWe), or 1.9% of the world’s capacity, have been in service for more than 50 years. There is therefore a need to modernize existing nuclear capabilities or create new ones to compensate for planned retirements and to contribute to the achievement of global energy security and climate change goals. Utilities, governments and other stakeholders are investing in long-term operation and aging management programs for an increasing number of nuclear reactors to ensure the sustainable operation of these reactors and a smooth transition to new capabilities.
