The newly published World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2013 (WNISR) provides a reality check of the current situation and trends of an industry in great difficulties. Nuclear power generation experienced a record drop of 7 percent in 2012. The 140-page report provides many different health indicators of the global nuclear industry and, for the first time, an essential status report on the complex situation that arose from the triple meltdowns in Fukushima. Some of the key findings:
• A record decline in world nuclear power generation (–7% in 2012).
• A long term, steady drop of the nuclear share in global electricity production from 17% in 1993 to 10% in 2012.
• Rapid aging: average now 29 years with 190 units 30+ years in operation.
• Poor renewal with 6 units shutdowns vs. 3 startups in 2012 and 2 shutdowns vs. 1 startup in the first half of 2013.
• 800,000 tons of water in precarious storage at Fukushima contain 2.5 times the radioactivity released at Chernobyl.
• China, Germany, India and Japan, in 2012, generated more power from renewables than from nuclear plants.