In the first quarter of 2013, nuclear generation was down by around 3.5%, year-on-year, according to data we collected.
The 404 reactors for which data were available generated a total of 618.7 TWh of electricity, operating at an average load factor of 74.9% during the first quarter of 2013. Performance was down compared with the first quarter of 2012, which saw 399 units achieve an average load factor of 75.4%, generating some 635 TWh of electricity.
A total of 263 pressurized water reactors (258 GW) generated around 447 TWh of electricity in the first three months of 2013, operating at an average load factor of 79.0%, down slightly from 79.6% in Q1 2012. The average first-quarter load factor for boiling water reactors (83 units; 81 GW) also fell from 64.7% to 59.5% in 2013, with the second- most-common reactor type generating over 107 TWh of electricity during Q1. In contrast, the performance of pressurized heavy water reactors (45 units; 25 GW) improved slightly from 74.9% in the first quarter of 2012 to 75.8% in 2013, perhaps thanks to the restart of Bruce 1&2 in Canada in September/October 2012.
Top of Table 2
| Unit | Country | Load factor to end March 2013 (%) | MWe gross | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12-month | Lifetime | ||||
| Millstone 3 | USA | 105.4 | 76.0 | 1209 | PWR |
| Dresden 2 | USA | 103.8 | 69.5 | 909 | BWR |
| Balakovo 3 | Russia | 102.3 | 64.3 | 1000 | PWR |
Based on the load factors feature published in the August 2013 issue of Nuclear Engineering International (p36-40). Full version is available to subscribers
