LONDON, June 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- World nuclear generation in 2014 rose 1% compared to 2013, the first annual gain since the 2011 accident at Fukushima I in Japan curbed global nuclear output sharply, according to a special analysis just released by Platts, a leading global energy and commodities information provider.

"The data showed the extent to which global nuclear generation fell following the Fukushima accident," said William Freebairn, Platts senior managing editor. "It is interesting to see a recovery in overall output was driven by growth in units in China and improvements in capacity factors in France, Russia and Korea, which more than offset the reactor shutdowns in Japan, Germany and the U.S."

Nuclear power plants generated about 2.039 billion megawatt hours (MWh) in 2014, a slight increase from the 2.018 billion MWh in reported generation for 2013, based on data supplied to Platts by nuclear power entities. Approximately 350 of the world's 429 nuclear units report gross generating data to Platts.

The special analysis includes the following information tables for 2014 nuclear power plant performance:

    --  Gross generation by nation
    --  Top 50 generation
    --  Top 50 capacity factor
    --  Gross generation by reactor type and vendor

The units in operation in 2014 had gross capacity of 392.6 gigawatts (GW), up from approximately 390.9 GW in 2013, when the same number of units operated, the Platts analysis showed.

The global nuclear fleet made up for a lack of growth in the number of units in 2014 by increasing output of existing units through uprates. In addition, the units reporting generating data to Platts increased their capacity factor, meaning they were online longer at full capacity.

The global nuclear unit capacity factor rose to about 75.8% in 2014, well above 69.1% in 2013.

Global nuclear generation reported to Platts is still far below its 2006 peak of 2.79 billion MWH, when there were more reactors online and all but a few dozen units were providing output figures.

Retirements of units in the U.S. Japan and Germany have been offset by new units that have come online in China, where the number of units in the Platts analysis grew by five in the past two years.

The biggest increase in output in 2014 was in the Netherlands. The biggest decrease in nuclear output came in Argentina.

"We've been collecting this data for decades, and our data shows that the top performers remained large reactors in France, Germany and the U.S., while the best capacity factors were recorded by operators in the U.S., India and Taiwan," said Freebairn.

See the full analysis at this link: http://www.platts.com/news-feature/2015/electricpower/global-nuclear-analysis/index.

The special report appeared in Platts' publications and services, including Platts Nucleonics Week. For more information on nuclear power and electricity, visit the Platts website.

About Platts: Founded in 1909, Platts is a leading global provider of energy, petrochemicals, metals and agriculture information and a premier source of benchmark prices for the physical and futures markets. Platts' news, pricing, analytics, commentary and conferences help customers make better-informed trading and business decisions and help the markets operate with greater transparency and efficiency. Customers in more than 150 countries benefit from Platts' coverage of the biofuels, carbon emissions, coal, electricity, oil, natural gas, metals, nuclear power, petrochemical, shipping and sugar markets. A division of McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI), Platts is based in London with more than 1,000 employees in more than 15 offices worldwide. Additional information is available at www.platts.com.

About McGraw Hill Financial: McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI) is a leading financial intelligence company providing the global capital and commodity markets with independent benchmarks, credit ratings, portfolio and enterprise risk solutions, and analytics. The Company's iconic brands include: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL and J.D. Power. The Company has approximately 17,000 employees in 30 countries. Additional information is available at www.mhfi.com.

Media Contact: Global, EMEA, Americas: Kathleen Tanzy, Kathleen.tanzy@platts.com, +1 212 904 2860 or +1 917 331 4607

SOURCE Platts

SOURCE: Platts