World Nuclear Association champions nuclear energy for energy abundance and resilient global trade at CHOGM 2026
World Nuclear Association Director General Dr Sama Bilbao y León joined business and political leaders at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Antigua and Barbuda to highlight how nuclear energy can strengthen energy security, support industrial growth and contribute to a more resilient global economy.
Held from 2–4 November 2026 alongside the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the Business Forum brought together leaders from across the Commonwealth's 56 member states to advance investment, trade and economic cooperation.
Dr Bilbao y León participated in two discussions hosted by the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), exploring the future of nuclear fission and fusion and the opportunities for nuclear energy to support the decarbonisation and resilience of global shipping.
Nuclear energy and the race to abundance
At the SMI Pavilion, Dr Bilbao y León joined Chris Mowry, CEO of Type One Energy, for Energy Next: Fusion & Fission, a fireside discussion moderated by Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, President and Global Envoy of the SMI.
The conversation explored how nuclear technologies can contribute to a future of secure, reliable and abundant clean energy, and the distinct opportunities presented by fission and fusion.
Nuclear fission is already providing reliable, low-carbon electricity around the world, with advanced reactors and small modular reactors offering further opportunities for deployment. Fusion, meanwhile, is progressing towards commercial demonstration, supported by advances in research, engineering and investment.
Both technologies have the potential to complement renewables and support a more diverse, resilient energy mix. However, realising this potential will require investment, effective regulation, skilled workforces and new delivery models capable of moving technologies from individual projects to deployment at scale.
For Commonwealth countries, the discussion highlighted the importance of international collaboration and long-term energy planning to strengthen industrial competitiveness, support economic development and meet growing electricity demand.
Nuclear energy's potential to transform global shipping
Dr Bilbao y León also contributed to the High-Level Dialogue on the Future of Global Shipping in an Era of Geopolitical Disruption, held aboard the Fortescue Green Pioneer, a dual-fuel ammonia-powered vessel developed by Australian green energy and mining company Fortescue.
The roundtable brought together political, trade and industry leaders to examine how global shipping can respond to rising fuel costs, geopolitical instability and disruption to international trade routes while accelerating decarbonisation.
Dr Bilbao y León highlighted nuclear energy as an important additional option in the transition towards a diversified, low-carbon maritime fuel mix.
"Nuclear does not compete with green ammonia; it complements it," she said.
For large deep-sea vessels operating long international routes, nuclear propulsion could provide reliable, zero-emission-at-point-of-use power for years without refuelling, reducing exposure to fuel price volatility and supply disruptions.
Dr Bilbao y León also highlighted the potential operational benefits of nuclear-powered shipping, citing studies indicating that nuclear containerships could travel almost 40% faster and transport up to 38% more cargo annually. On land, nuclear energy could also provide the continuous electricity and heat required to produce low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia at scale, alongside renewables.
While nuclear propulsion is well established in naval fleets and civilian icebreakers, its wider commercial application will depend on the development of appropriate international regulatory, insurance and liability frameworks.
Momentum towards commercial nuclear-powered shipping is building. In August 2026, the International Atomic Energy Agency launched its ATLAS initiative, supported by 26 countries, to advance the safe and secure deployment of civil nuclear technologies at sea. Meanwhile, the International Maritime Organization is working to modernise its Code of Safety for Nuclear Merchant Ships, with a proposed timetable targeting adoption of revised international safety requirements in 2030. These developments could help establish the regulatory foundations for commercial nuclear-powered vessels, with some designs potentially ready for deployment in the 2030s.
Dr Bilbao y León emphasised the opportunity for Commonwealth countries, with their extensive maritime expertise, ports and flag states, to help shape this emerging industry.
The message was clear: international frameworks should remain technology-neutral, nuclear should be considered alongside other clean energy options in green shipping corridor and port planning, and regulators and insurers should be involved from the outset.
"Let us give shipping every clean option it will need," Dr Bilbao y León concluded.
Building a resilient and secure maritime future
The shipping discussions also considered wider challenges associated with the transition to cleaner maritime technologies, including the safe transportation of lithium-ion batteries. As battery shipments increase, the World Shipping Council has called for stronger international dangerous goods requirements to address regulatory gaps that allow large quantities of lithium batteries to be transported without carriers being fully informed of the potential hazards.
These discussions reinforced the importance of ensuring that the transition to cleaner shipping is supported by robust safety standards, effective international regulation and resilient supply chains.
For nuclear energy, the opportunity extends beyond providing an alternative means of propulsion. Nuclear power can also support the production of alternative maritime fuels and help strengthen the energy infrastructure on which global trade depends.
From ambition to delivery: the Commonwealth opportunity
CHOGM 2026 reinforced the Commonwealth's ambition to turn economic cooperation into tangible investment, with trade, skills development and prosperity central to discussions and around US$500 million in new commitments announced.
For nuclear energy, the opportunity now is to ensure that it becomes an integral part of this delivery agenda.
Across the Commonwealth, established nuclear nations and countries considering nuclear energy for the first time are exploring its potential to provide reliable, clean power, strengthen energy security and support industrial development.
Mobilising investment, developing skilled workforces, strengthening institutions and building international partnerships will be essential to translating this ambition into operating nuclear capacity.
The next phase of nuclear energy's growth will be defined not simply by ambition, but by delivery.
As Dr Bilbao y León reflected, the industry needs Gen D – Generation Deliver.
Generation Deliver is not defined by age, but by the leaders, businesses and governments willing to move beyond announcements and turn commitments into projects, infrastructure and results.
For the Commonwealth, nuclear energy represents more than a clean energy technology. It is long-term economic infrastructure with the potential to support industrialisation, create skilled jobs and deliver lasting prosperity across its member states.
x