International Energy Agency Director: Global Under-Construction Nuclear Power Capacity Reaches New High

The Director-General of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, said on the 12th that the current global nuclear power generating capacity under construction has reached about 70 gigawatts, the highest level in 40 years. The 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will be held in Antalya, Turkey, from November 9 to 20 this year. Birol said that day in Istanbul at a press conference on the COP31 host country’s preparations, that renewable energy and nuclear power will become the two main pillars of clean energy, and that nuclear power, as a reliable, all-weather energy source, is indispensable. The global nuclear power revival trend is now evident: the nuclear generating capacity under construction has reached about 70 gigawatts, the highest level in 40 years. Speaking at the meeting, Murat Kurum, Turkey’s Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, and the incoming President of COP31, noted that current global geopolitical conflicts have highlighted the vulnerability of energy supply chains, that problems caused by climate change are becoming increasingly severe, and that global food and energy systems are under pressure; therefore, COP31 will focus on issues including clean energy transition, the development of climate-resilient cities, and mechanisms for implementing climate action. ( Xinhua News Agency )