Energy

A Crude Problem For Putin’s Russia

Published

10 years ago

October 20, 2014

Jeff Desjardins

Russian History and Oil Prices

A Crude Problem For Putin’s Russia

Western sanctions against Russia that stemmed from the events in Ukraine have not yet put a significant dent in the country’s economy or changed their plans abroad. However, over the last three months, the slumping price of crude oil may be the factor that finally makes Moscow blink.

While Brent oil has traded throughout the year at around $110/bbl, it is only recently that the price has dropped to closer to $85. A combination of items have contributed to crude’s steep drop including a stronger US dollar, slowed economic growth in Europe and China, and increased US shale oil and gas production.

Some countries benefit from having oil as a cheaper input, but Russia is not one of them. Russia is the second largest exporter of oil selling 7.2 million bpd in global markets, which equates to about 45% of Russia’s budget revenues. Deutche Bank has calculated the breakeven price for Russia’s fiscal situation at an oil price at $102/bbl.

Oil prices and deficits for selected countries including Russia

The impact of this is already showing up in the Kremlin’s finances. Not only does Russia forgo extra revenue towards its budget, but it also hurts the exchange rate of the country’s currency. So far this month, Russia has spent upwards of $7 billion propping up the rouble, which is trading at record lows.

A previous crash in oil prices in the 1980s was at least partly responsible for bankrupting the Soviet Union, and this time the stakes could also be high. Putin’s support will stay high as long as business is good and the country keeps its pro-Russia stance. However, it remains to be seen what kind of pressure that a more long-term low oil environment will put on Putin and his administration.

Opening graphic from: RadioFreeEurope

The World’s Biggest Nuclear Energy Producers

China has grown its nuclear capacity over the last decade, now ranking second on the list of top nuclear energy producers.

Published

3 days ago

April 17, 2024

Pallavi Rao

A cropped chart breaking down the biggest nuclear energy producers, by country, in 2022.

The World’s Biggest Nuclear Energy Producers

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on Apple or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Scientists in South Korea recently broke a record in a nuclear fusion experiment. For 48 seconds, they sustained a temperature seven times that of the sun’s core.

But generating commercially viable energy from nuclear fusion still remains more science fiction than reality. Meanwhile, its more reliable sibling, nuclear fission, has been powering our world for many decades.

In this graphic, we visualized the top producers of nuclear energy by their share of the global total, measured in terawatt hours (TWh). Data for this was sourced from the Nuclear Energy Institute, last updated in August 2022.

Which Country Generates the Most Nuclear Energy?

Nuclear energy production in the U.S. is more than twice the amount produced by China (ranked second) and France (ranked third) put together. In total, the U.S. accounts for nearly 30% of global nuclear energy output.

However, nuclear power only accounts for one-fifth of America’s electricity supply. This is in contrast to France, which generates 60% of its electricity from nuclear plants.

Rank	Country	Nuclear Energy Produced (TWh)	% of Total
1	🇺🇸 U.S.	772	29%
2	🇨🇳 China	383	14%
3	🇫🇷 France	363	14%
4	🇷🇺 Russia	208	8%
5	🇰🇷 South Korea	150	6%
6	🇨🇦 Canada	87	3%
7	🇺🇦 Ukraine	81	3%
8	🇩🇪 Germany	65	2%
9	🇯🇵 Japan	61	2%
10	🇪🇸 Spain	54	2%
11	🇸🇪 Sweden	51	2%
12	🇧🇪 Belgium	48	2%
13	🇬🇧 UK	42	2%
14	🇮🇳 India	40	2%
15	🇨🇿 Czech Republic	29	1%
N/A	🌐 Other	219	8%
N/A	🌍 Total	2,653	100%

Another highlight is how China has rapidly grown its nuclear energy capabilities in the last decade. Between 2016 and 2021, for example, it increased its share of global nuclear energy output from less than 10% to more than 14%, overtaking France for second place.

On the opposite end, the UK’s share has slipped to 2% over the same time period.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has heavily relied on nuclear energy to power its grid. In March 2022, it lost access to its key Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station after Russian forces wrested control of the facility. With six 1,000 MW reactors, the plant is one of the largest in Europe. It is currently not producing any power, and has been the site of recent drone attacks.