Publication of the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2023

Jochen Ahlswede, Head of Research & International Affairs at BASE, at the publication of the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2023 in Brussels Source: BASE

The World Nuclear Industry Status Report (WNISR) was presented in Brussels on 6 December. The analysis, prepared by an international team of experts, examines the current status of the global nuclear industry.

Lead author Mycle Schneider and his team presented the most important findings from the data analyses to an audience of around 30 political and media representatives, as well as some 150 viewers in the livestream. The findings show that the global development of electricity generation from nuclear energy has been stagnant for a long time. In 2022, the share of nuclear energy in global electricity production has fallen again to 9.2%. As numerous reactors will be shut down in the coming decades due to their operating age, simply maintaining the current level of electricity generation will be challenging, the report says.

The WNISR is funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (represented by the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management), the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, as well as other sponsors. In his introduction, Jochen Ahlswede, Head of the Research/International Department at BASE, emphasised the particular importance of independent and science-based debates on the promises of nuclear energy, for example with regard to so-called Small Modular Reactors (SMR). Expansion plans and announcements from the industry, particularly in view of the much-discussed SMRs, must also be scrutinised with regard to operational and waste management safety. The WNISR had for many years encouraged people "to look beyond mere promises and form our own judgement based on the data."

Following the presentation, which lasted around an hour and a half, the authors took questions from the audience. This was followed by an in-depth discussion on individual focal points of the report, such as the current situation at the Fukushima nuclear power plant and the economic viability of SMRs.

The status report received widespread international media attention and coverage.