Global nuclear power generation reached a new high in 2025, with China emerging as the main force behind the increase. According to the report summary, Chinese output contributed more than all of the net growth worldwide, offsetting weaker performance elsewhere.
The shift stands out because nuclear generation in the United States remained broadly unchanged while Europe recorded another decline. That left China as the clear driver of global expansion, reinforcing its growing role in the electricity mix and in longer-term energy planning.
The broader trend is reflected in projects such as Heqi No.1 in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, described as China’s first industrial-use nuclear energy steam supply project. Facilities like that highlight how the country is not only adding nuclear generation capacity but also expanding the industrial uses of nuclear energy.
Taken together, the 2025 record shows how heavily global nuclear growth now depends on China. With U.S. output flat and European generation still falling, the balance of momentum in nuclear power is increasingly centered on Chinese investment and deployment.
