IAEA Releases New Global Nuclear Power Development Outlook

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 27, the 2026 International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Energy opened in Incheon, South Korea, with government officials and nuclear industry representatives from about 60 countries in attendance. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi delivered a video address, presenting global nuclear power development projections and the implementation conditions facing new nuclear power projects. The latest IAEA projections show that by 2050, global nuclear power installed capacity will reach between 641 GW and 1,045 GW, a significant increase from the level of approximately 377 GW at the end of 2025.

According to statistics from the IAEA Power Reactor Information System (PRIS) as of October 26, there are currently 417 nuclear power reactors in operation worldwide, with a total installed capacity of approximately 379.7 GW; another 78 reactors are under construction, with a total installed capacity of approximately 81.3 GW. This marks the sixth consecutive year that the IAEA has raised its long-term global nuclear power capacity projections.

Topics discussed at the conference included financing for new nuclear power projects, nuclear power infrastructure preparation, regulatory capacity, technical personnel training, and supply chain development. Grossi proposed that countries need to incorporate long-term operation of existing nuclear power projects, construction of new nuclear facilities, and deployment of small modular reactors into their implementation plans, coordinate with financial institutions, technology suppliers, and regulatory authorities as early as possible, and carry out personnel training and engineering supply chain development.

South Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon proposed at the conference that South Korea will leverage its existing nuclear equipment manufacturing and engineering construction capabilities to advance the development and demonstration of small modular reactors, and expand nuclear energy applications in areas such as power supply for AI data centers, industrial heat supply, and ship propulsion. South Korea also plans to conduct international technical cooperation on nuclear power operation, decommissioning, waste management, and next-generation nuclear fuel.

The conference is being held from October 27 to 29, hosted by the South Korean Ministry of Science and ICT, and co-organized by the IAEA and the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The South Korea-U.S. Nuclear Energy Industry Dialogue held on October 26 ahead of the conference attracted about 50 companies and institutions from both countries, discussing cooperation in nuclear power design, construction, equipment manufacturing, investment, and nuclear fuel supply chains.