More than 400 reactors, dozens more under construction: nuclear power is gaining momentum

Use of nuclear energy could more than triple by 2060. In a report to the UN General Assembly, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said, according to the AP news agency, that electrification, data centres using artificial intelligence (AI) and technology companies’ interest in a reliable, carbon-free energy source would drive the growth.

More and more countries consider nuclear power an important means of strengthening energy security, Grossi said. Nuclear energy is as significant as solar power and, in terms of security of supply, outperforms all other options, he said.

Last year, more than 400 operating nuclear reactors in over 30 countries generated a tenth of the world’s electricity and a quarter of its electricity from low-emissions sources, Grossi said. More than 60 new reactors are now under construction. Estimates of future nuclear power capacity have risen significantly, he said.

Grossi’s report also addressed the nuclear programmes of Iran and North Korea, as well as the unprecedented threats to nuclear safety posed by the war in Ukraine. He also pointed to troubling reports that some other, unnamed countries are discussing the possibility of acquiring nuclear weapons.

On Iran, Grossi said the technical work needed to reach a diplomatic agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme had already been carried out. He urged the parties involved to step up efforts to find a diplomatic solution, which must include the IAEA’s essential monitoring role. The agency’s inspectors must return to Iran as soon as possible, he said, which requires the resumption of talks.