Why do we need nuclear energy?

Electricity generation accounts for over 40% of global energy-related emissions. Nuclear energy produces almost no direct greenhouse gas emissions and has lifecycle emissions (total greenhouse gas emissions across a technology's full life cycle, from construction to decommissioning) comparable to wind and solar.

Nuclear power is one of the largest sources of low-carbon electricity in the world, providing a continuous supply of energy that complements renewables and storage technologies. Including nuclear in the mix makes achieving deep decarbonization significantly easier and cheaper.

Fission Fact: Nuclear avoids around 2 billion tonnes of CO₂  emissions annually, compared with generating the same amount of electricity from coal — enough to offset the carbon footprint of the entire global aviation sector nearly twice over. 

Energy security depends on stable, predictable supply. Nuclear fuel underpins energy security because uranium is an extremely concentrated, easily transportable energy source. The continuous generation from nuclear power plants is an asset for strengthening a nation’s energy security.

One of the biggest risks to energy security is fuel disruption. Unlike oil and gas power plants, nuclear reactors store several years of fuel on site, so they are less at risk of fuel‑supply disruptions. Uranium is also available from many different countries and makes up only a small part of total operating cost, helping keep electricity supplies stable and predictable.

Fission Fact: A fingertip-sized uranium fuel pellet produces as much energy as three barrels of oil, more than 350 cubic metres of natural gas, and about half a tonne of coal. A 1 GWe power plant requires around 20-30 tonnes of uranium fuel annually, compared with over three million tonnes of coal.

Today, coal remains the largest single source of electricity worldwide, supplying around a third of global generation, largely because of its historic availability and its ability to produce power continuously when needed. Although wind and solar are expanding rapidly, they are weather‑dependent and therefore require complementary sources of firm or dispatchable generation—such as hydro, nuclear, gas, or storage—to ensure electricity is available at all times. 

Nuclear power plants provide large volumes of clean electricity and can operate continuously for long periods, independent of weather or season. In modern power systems, their value extends beyond constant output: nuclear plants also contribute frequency stability, inertia, and other essential grid services, and many are capable of flexible operation to follow daily and seasonal shifts in demand. 

Fission Fact: The global nuclear reactor fleet ran at an average capacity factor* of 83% in 2024, higher than any other source of electricity. This measure of reliability has been reflected consistently over the past 20 years, with reactor performance remaining high regardless of age and older reactors having some of the highest capacity factors.  

Nuclear’s high energy density means it needs limited land area, involves less resource extraction, and has low waste volumes. Nuclear generates more energy from a smaller land footprint and with fewer material, metal, and mineral inputs than any other energy source, including wind and solar.

While nuclear plants require water for cooling – like all thermal power plants, whether fuelled by coal, gas, uranium, or biomass – nearly all of it is returned to the environment just a few degrees warmer.  

Fission Fact: The amount of land needed per kWe of installed capacity from nuclear is much less than from other sources of generation; for example, nuclear uses around 30 times less land than solar PV to produce the same amount of electricity.

Nuclear power has a proven track record of rapid expansion. Following the 1973 oil shock and resulting energy crisis, many countries deployed nuclear to secure domestically produced energy. In short time frames, nuclear power was deployed showing it could deliver sustainable energy transitions, long before climate change was on the agenda.

Today in the wake of further energy crises, this logic has been revisited. Many countries are now opting to expand their use of nuclear energy by restarting and extending operations at existingng plants alongide plans for new builds.

Fission Fact: France rapidly expanded its nuclear power programme after the 1974 oil crisis, and within about 15 years nuclear energy grew from a minor contributor to providing most of the country’s electricity. Today, over 70% of France’s electricity comes from nuclear power—the highest share of any country in the world.

Yes. Nuclear power plants produce no greenhouse gas emissions during operation but are still reliable and can be deployed on a large scale. Unlike solar and wind, they are not weather dependent, providing the consistent clean power that deep decarbonisation requires.

While characterised by high up-front capital costs, nuclear power plants provide good value over many decades of low running costs. Once built and commissioned, nuclear power plants have low and stable operating costs, resulting from the low proportion of fuel cost in their total cost structure. Their baseload generation also helps to stabilize consumer prices. Economies of scale and series of repeat projects are the best ways to improve delivery.

We need all low carbon technologies to play their part in an energy mix. Wind and solar have been expanded, however they remain unreliable and require back up sources of power. Nuclear power plants run for many months without interruption, providing large amounts of clean electricity, regardless of the time of day, the weather, or the season. 

Nuclear energy is part of the solution to climate change, providing a continuous supply of energy, complimenting renewables, and energy storage technologies.

Concerns are most often linked to waste. But all forms of electricity generation produce waste. Nuclear is the only energy industry that takes full responsibility for managing all its waste — and nuclear waste is compact, solid, and safely stored. Overall, nuclear power plants have one of the smallest environmental footprints per unit of energy produced.

Yes, nuclear is one of the safest forms of generation and accidents are very rare. There have been three major accidents — Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima Daiichi — in over 18,500 cumulative reactor-years of commercial nuclear power operation in 36 countries. After any accident or near-miss, the nuclear industry has evolved through direct lessons learned, improving safety culture, and technological innovation.