Electricity generation from nuclear reactors decreased by around 4% in 2020 – the largest decline since the aftermath of the Fukushima-Daiichi accident in 2011 – but is set for a partial rebound in 2021 as up to 10 new reactors could be connected to the grid, including four in China, an International Energy Agency report says.

The Paris-based agency’s Global Energy Review 2021 says that across advanced economies, nuclear power increases slightly in 2021, with output remaining 6% below 2019 levels. Nonetheless, nuclear remains the largest single source of low-carbon generation in these economies.

In emerging market and developing economies, nuclear power is set to increase by over 5% in 2021, with new reactors coming online in several countries, led by China and complemented by new reactors in India, the UAE, Pakistan and Russia.