CONSULTING

In the first half of 2016, three reactors started up in China and one each in South Korea and the U.S.,
while none were shut down. The final closure of one additional reactor has been announced in
Japan. That unit, Ikata-1, had not generated any power since 2011.
All 46 reactors, except for two—Atucha-2 in Argentina and Watts Bar 2 in the U.S., respectively 33
and 43 years after construction start—that were commissioned over the past decade
(2006/June 2016) are in Asia (China, India, Iran, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea), or Eastern Europe
(Romania, Russia). 21 With 25 units, China started up by far the largest fleet, over half of the world's
total, followed by India (6) and South Korea (5).
The IAEA continues to count 43 units in Japan in its total number of 446 reactors “in operation” in
the world 22 ; yet no nuclear electricity has been generated in Japan between September 2013 and
August 2015, and as of the end of June 2016, only two reactors, Sendai-1 and -2, are operating. A
third unit, Takahama-3, was restarted in October 2015, while Takahama-4 failed grid connection
late February 2016 due to technical problems. In March 2016, both Takahama units were ordered
by court to shut down for safety reasons (see Figure 6 and Japan Focus section for details).
The unique situation in Japan needs to be reflected in world nuclear statistics. The attitude taken
by the IAEA, the Japanese government, utilities, industry and research bodies as well as other
governments and organizations to continue considering the entire stranded reactor fleet in the
country, 10 percent of the world total, as “in operation” or “operational” remains a misleading
distortion of facts.
Figure 6: Rise and Fall of the Japanese Nuclear Program 1963–2016
Milliers
TWh
350
300
250
200
150
100
© Mycle Schneider Consulting
Rise and Fall of the Japanese Nuclear Program — 1963 to 2016
Fleet (in Units) and Electricity Generation (in TWh)
Reactors in LTO
Number of
Reactors
60
50
40
30
20
50
10
0
0
1963
Reactors in Operation
Electricity Production
1969
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2003
2005
2007
2010
2015
2016
Sources: IAEA-PRIS, MSC, 2016
21 The last units to start up in the Western world were Argentina’s Atucha-2 in 2014 after 33 years of
construction, Brazil’s Angra-2 in 2000 after 24 years, and Civaux-2 in France in 1999 after 8.5 years.
22 IAEA, “Power Reactor Information System”, see http://www.iaea.org/pris/, accessed 26 June 2016.
Mycle Schneider, Antony Froggatt et al. 24 World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2016