IAEA Projects Global Nuclear Capacity Could Triple by 2060
The IAEA's latest outlook sees global installed nuclear capacity more than tripling by 2060, with small modular reactors playing a major role.
Global installed nuclear power capacity could more than triple by 2060, the International Atomic Energy Agency has projected in a new outlook, as more countries weigh nuclear energy as a route to meeting rising electricity demand and securing supply.
The report, Energy, Electricity and Nuclear Power Estimates for the Period up to 2060, was presented at the agency's 70th General Conference in Vienna. It marks the sixth year in a row that the IAEA has lifted its forecast for nuclear expansion.
Small modular reactors are expected to become a substantial new source of clean energy under the projection, adding a fresh dimension to a sector long dominated by large conventional plants.
The outlook also flags the need to plan for and offset the retirement of existing reactors, a reminder that capacity growth depends as much on replacing ageing units as on building new ones.
The findings arrive as governments reassess the role of nuclear power in their energy mixes, balancing decarbonisation goals against concerns over reliability and fuel supply.