Nuclear Technology Review 2011 - IAEA

A.1. Nuclear power today
A. POWER APPLICATIONS
For the seventh year in a row, the number of construction starts on new
reactors increased. Although far from attaining the peak of 44 in 1976, the 16
construction starts in 2010, the highest number since 1985, denote a marked
increase from the figures of the 1990s and early 2000s.
As of 31 December 2010, there were 441 nuclear power reactors in
operation worldwide, with a total capacity of 375 GW(e) (see Table A-1). This
represents some 4 GW(e) more total capacity than at the end of 2009, mostly due
to five new grid connections (Lingao-3 (1000 MW(e)) and Qinshan 2-3
(610 MW(e)) in China, Rajasthan-6 (202 MW(e)) in India, Rostov-2 (950
MW(e)) in the Russian Federation and Shin Kori-1 (960 MW(e)) in the Republic
of Korea) and only one retirement (Phenix (130 MW(e)) in France).
There were 16 construction starts in 2010: Angra-3 in Brazil; Changjiang-1
and -2, Fangchenggang-1 and -2, Fuqing-3, Haiyang-2, Ningde-3 and -4,
Taishan-2, and Yangjiang-3 in China; Kakrapar-3 and -4 in India; Ohma in Japan;
and Leningrad 2-2 and Rostov-4 in the Russian Federation. This compares with
12 construction starts plus the restart of active construction at two reactors in
2009, and ten construction starts in 2008.
As of 31 December 2010, a total of 67 reactors were under construction, the
largest number since 1990.
Expansion and near term and long term growth prospects remained centred
in Asia. Of the 16 construction starts in 2010, 13 were in Asia. As shown in
Table A-1, 45 of the 67 reactors under construction are in Asia, as are 34 of the
last 43 new reactors to have been connected to the grid.
The trend towards uprates and renewed or extended licences for many
operating reactors continued in 2010. In the USA, the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) renewed the operating licence for the Cooper Nuclear
Station in Nebraska and the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa for an
additional 20 years, bringing the total number of approved licence renewals since
2000 to 61. Furthermore, six uprate applications were approved by the NRC in
2010, and 12 power uprate applications, comprising a total of about 1355 MW(e),
were under review. In the UK, the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate approved an
operational licence extension for the twin-unit Wylfa Nuclear Power Plant for up
to two additional years. Furthermore, it approved licence extensions from 30 to
35 years for four reactors at Hartlepool and Heysham-1. In the Russian
Federation, Russian regulator Rostechnadzor issued a 15 year operating licence
extension for Unit 4 of the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant.
5