Zhi Tong Cai Jing·2025-12-30 07:15Group 1 - The South Korean nuclear regulatory agency has approved the operation of the new Saeul No. 3 reactor, marking the first such approval in nearly two years, despite the current government's reevaluation of nuclear energy's long-term role in the economy [1][2] - The new reactor is expected to significantly reduce South Korea's reliance on imported coal and natural gas, aligning with the global trend of increasing nuclear power demand driven by the needs of AI data centers [2][3] - The approval of the Saeul No. 3 reactor is seen as a strong endorsement of nuclear energy's role in supporting the growing electricity demands of AI applications, which require high efficiency, reliability, low carbon compliance, and stable pricing [2][3] Group 2 - The global electricity demand driven by AI data centers is projected to increase dramatically, with Goldman Sachs revising its forecast for electricity consumption by data centers to grow by 175% by 2030, indicating a significant surge in power needs [3][4] - The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that global data center electricity demand will more than double by 2030, reaching approximately 945 TWh, with AI applications being the primary driver of this growth [4][5] - Major tech companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are increasingly favoring nuclear energy for their data centers due to its clean, stable, and efficient characteristics, which are essential for meeting the continuous power demands of AI workloads [5][6]