China Drives Global Nuclear Energy to Record Highs as Western Output Stalls
Beijing, Friday, 7 August 2026.
Global nuclear energy output reached a record 2,845 terawatt-hours in 2025, driven entirely by China’s aggressive expansion. Without Chinese growth, global atomic power generation would have actively declined.
Global Record Driven by Chinese Expansion
In 2025, global nuclear power generation reached an all-time high of 2,845 terawatt-hours (TWh), representing a 1.066 increase from the previous year [1]. This milestone was achieved almost exclusively through China’s aggressive capacity additions, which supplied more than the net global growth for the period [5]. Without China’s contribution of an additional 34 TWh in output, global nuclear generation would have declined relative to 2024 levels [1]. While the United States remained the largest single producer with 826 TWh, its output has remained essentially flat over the last decade, standing at 839 TWh in 2015 [1].
Conversely, European nuclear generation continued a downward trend, falling 22% from 968 TWh in 2015 to 759 TWh in 2025 [1]. China’s output nearly tripled during this same timeframe, surging from 171 TWh in 2015 to 485 TWh in 2025, a growth rate of 183.626 [1]. Consequently, China accounted for 17.1% of global generation in 2025, while the rest of the world outside the top producers generated 44 TWh less nuclear electricity in 2025 compared to 2015 [1]. Despite the record absolute generation, nuclear power’s share of the global energy supply remained virtually unchanged, dropping slightly from 5.19% in 2024 to 5.17% in 2025 as total global energy supply grew faster [1].
Accelerated Approvals and Technology Deployment
Building on this momentum, China’s State Council approved the construction of eight new nuclear reactor units on July 31, 2026, representing an investment exceeding 170 billion yuan [3]. These projects, spanning four provinces, include three pairs of Hualong One reactors and two Guohe One units, continuing an approval pace of 10 or more reactors annually observed between 2022 and 2025 [2]. Six of the eight new reactors will utilize the Hualong One technology, a domestically designed third-generation system with full intellectual property rights [2]. As of the end of 2025, 10 Hualong One units were already in commercial operation, with 37 more approved or under construction [2].
The approved units include demonstration projects for Hualong One 2.0 at Jinqimen and Taipingling, featuring optimized safety systems and modular construction techniques [3]. Each Hualong One unit is designed to generate nearly 10 billion kWh of electricity annually, sufficient to power a medium-sized city of over 1 million people [2]. The State Council mandated that all new units adhere to the highest global safety standards with strengthened supply chain supervision [3]. This approval batch is the first of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), aiming to meet climate targets of peaking carbon emissions before 2030 [2].
Capacity Milestones and Future Targets
On June 25, 2026, China’s National Energy Administration announced that total installed power generation capacity had reached 4 terawatts (TW), making it the first nation to hit this milestone [4]. As of late July 2026, China operates approximately 64 nuclear reactors with 37 additional reactors under construction, marking the 19th consecutive year the nation has held the global lead in under-construction capacity [2][4]. The 15th Five-Year Plan targets 110 GW of nuclear capacity by 2030, with projections suggesting China could surpass the U.S. as the world’s top nuclear producer in approximately five years [1][4].
Non-OECD countries increased nuclear generation by nearly 366 TWh over the last decade, whereas OECD countries saw a decline of about 96 TWh [1]. China’s installed nuclear capacity reached 63.98 GW by mid-2026, surpassing France but remaining behind the U.S. capacity of 96.9 GW [4]. With socioeconomic demand for energy providing ample room for development, China’s installed nuclear power capacity is expected to reach 200 GW in the longer term [2]. This expansion underscores a growing energy transition divide, as Western nations face regulatory hurdles while China solidifies dominance in energy infrastructure [1].