Global Nuclear Power Tracker Methodology

Architecture

Global Energy Monitor’s Global Nuclear Power Tracker uses a two-level system for organizing information, consisting of both a database and wiki pages with further information. The database tracks individual nuclear power plant units and includes information such as project owner, status, technology type, and location. A wiki page for each project is created within the Global Energy Monitor wiki. The database and wiki pages are updated annually.

Status Categories

• Announced: Proposed projects that have been described in corporate or government plans but have not yet taken concrete steps such as applying for permits.
• Pre-construction: Projects that are actively moving forward in seeking governmental approvals, land rights, or financing.
• Construction: Site preparation or equipment installation are underway.
• Operating: The project has been formally commissioned; commercial operation has begun.
• Shelved: Suspension of operation has been announced, or no progress has been observed for at least two years.
• Cancelled: A cancellation announcement has been made, or no progress has been observed for at least four years.
• Mothballed: The project is disused, but not dismantled.
• Retired: The project has been decommissioned.

Research Process

The Global Nuclear Power Tracker data set draws on various public data sources, including:

• Industry data on individual nuclear power units 
• Government websites tracking project permits and applications
• Reports by power companies (both state-owned and private)
• News and media reports
• Local non-governmental organizations tracking nuclear projects or permits

Wiki Pages

For each nuclear power project, a wiki page is created on Global Energy Monitor’s wiki. Under standard wiki convention, all information is linked to a publicly-accessible published reference, such as a news article, company or government report, or a regulatory permit. In order to ensure data integrity in the open-access wiki environment, Global Energy Monitor researchers review all edits of project wiki pages.

Mapping

To allow easy public access to the results, Global Energy Monitor worked with GreenInfo Network to develop a map-based and table-based interface using the Leaflet Open-Source JavaScript library. In the case of exact coordinates, locations have been visually determined using Google Maps, Google Earth, Wikimapia, or OpenStreetMap. For proposed projects, exact locations, if available, are from permit applications, or company or government documentation. If the location of a nuclear project or proposal is not known, Global Energy Monitor identifies the most accurate location possible based on available information.

Global Nuclear Power Tracker Change Log

October 2023

• All countries have been researched for this update.
• The Global Nuclear Power Tracker now includes nuclear power units with a status of “cancelled”, representing over 500 GW of tracked capacity worldwide, as well as the data attribute “Cancellation Year”.