In an exclusive interview with CGTN, atomic watchdog chief Rafael Grossi lauds China's 'ambitious plans' to expand nuclear power provision.
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00:00The nuclear energy drought is over, says IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi.
00:08After years of stagnation, nuclear reactors are celebrating a comeback.
00:12We are not saying that what you are going to see is a dominance of nuclear energy.
00:18We are not saying that. I think tripling could be a bit of a challenge.
00:23Our own estimates are more aiming at doubling, perhaps.
00:27Despite these high costs and project overruns.
00:29We've had some cost overruns in Europe, one or two cases, whereas China is building in three years, four years.
00:39China is the lead in terms, numerically speaking, in terms of the increase.
00:45China has more than 50 reactors in operation and at the moment as we speak is building more than 20.
00:52China will take over, perhaps as the second and perhaps as the first, because they have very ambitious plans in this regard.
01:03This year the world's nuclear energy production is expected to reach a new record level,
01:08driven in part by the growing demand for electricity caused by the use of artificial intelligence.
01:14According to the University of California, one email written by AI
01:19uses the same amount of energy needed to power 14 light bulbs for an hour.
01:25For the first time since the advent of commercial nuclear energy in the 50s, let's say,
01:34you have a demand driven movement in nuclear.
01:39You have a sector, AI, data centers, on which we depend.
01:45These are electricity hungry facilities and most of the big players, Google, Meta, Microsoft,
01:54they are signing one after the other contracts with small modular reactor producers.
02:02Even Germany and Italy, which phased out their nuclear power plants years ago,
02:06they are now considering restarting their programs with these small modular reactors.
02:11Why choose small reactors over bigger ones? Aren't the bigger ones more efficient?
02:16Well, it depends. No, I think it's a matter of the needs and the specific situation of a country.
02:25With 300 megawatts maybe you feed a small country, almost completely.
02:30Thank you so much for this interview.