Executive Summary

Nuclear energy entered 2026 with renewed growth and stronger policy support. Global nuclear generation reached a record 2702 TWh in 2025, 35 TWh higher than in 2024, and supplied around 9% of world electricity. Growth was led by Asia, while generation remained broadly stable in the Americas and Africa and declined in Western and Central Europe following reactor closures.

The existing fleet continues to perform strongly. The average capacity factor rose to 83.7%, with no general deterioration among reactors operating for more than 40 years. This reinforces the value of long-term operation as an immediate and cost-effective source of low-carbon electricity. Since 1970, nuclear generation is estimated to have avoided 43.6 billion tonnes of CO₂ compared with gas and 97.2 billion tonnes compared with coal.

Construction is increasing, but remains below the level required. Eleven reactors started construction in 2025, nine in China and two in Russia. Three reactors were connected to the grid and seven permanently shut down. Tripling global capacity by 2050 would eventually require build rates around six times current levels.

The capacity ambition is sufficient for tripling

The central World Nuclear Outlook Report (WNOR) 2026 finding is that government ambitions remain collectively sufficient to triple global nuclear capacity by 2050. If national targets and identified projects are achieved and the existing fleet continues operating, capacity would reach 1457 GWe in 2050.

The project pipeline has strengthened. Since the previous edition, capacity under construction has risen from 76 to 82 GWe and planned capacity from 107 to 114 GWe, whereas proposed capacity has fallen from 294 to 289 GWe and potential capacity has fallen from 24 to 13 GWe, showing a shift to more certain and nearer-term categories.  Additional capacity required to meet government targets has increased from 542 to 559 GWe, with additional targets introduced by new governments.

Existing nuclear countries account for 1303 GWe of projected 2050 capacity, sufficient by themselves to meet the level associated with the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy. New entrant countries contribute a further 154 GWe.

Delivery capability will determine whether ambitions are achieved

WNOR assesses Policy Framework Readiness, Institutional & Infrastructure Readiness, Project & Programme Readiness, and the credibility of achieving National Government Targets. Targets are most credible where political commitment, institutions, financing and projects advance together.

The assessments identify five programme groupings:

1. Pacesetters maintain continuous construction programmes and established licensing, delivery and commissioning systems. Their priority is to preserve and expand this capability.
2. Expanders have active or recent new-build experience but need to increase deployment substantially and convert individual projects into repeat programmes.
3. Restarters have mature institutions and operating experience but limited recent continuous construction. They must adapt and scale existing capabilities for new build.
4. Newcomers have recently completed, are constructing or are advancing their first plant. They should retain the regulatory, workforce and supply-chain experience gained for subsequent projects.
5. Candidates have decided nuclear should play a future role but must convert political commitment into institutions, financing and deliverable projects.

Policy recommendations for tripling global nuclear capacity

The country assessments support coordinated action across the nuclear system:

1. Establish durable policy. Governments should integrate nuclear into long-term energy and industrial strategies and frameworks that recognize nuclear’s contribution to achieving policy goals.
2. Create a favourable investment environment. Investment in nuclear energy should be encouraged, recognizing it as a strategic national asset, mobilizing a full range of public, private and multilateral financial institutions to support nuclear deployment.
3. Improve regulatory efficiency. Licensing and regulatory frameworks should be optimized. Greater international cooperation and use of credible assessments from other jurisdictions can improve efficiency. Regulators need sufficient expertise and resources for existing reactors, new construction and emerging technologies.
4. Use existing assets fully. Lifetime extensions, uprates, improved performance, suitable restarts and timely completion of reactors under construction preserve both generating capacity and the wider nuclear ecosystem.
5. Deploy proven reactors while enabling SMRs and advanced technologies. Repeat deployment of proven designs offers the fastest route to scale, while R&D, licensing and demonstration support can bring newer technologies to commercial deployment.
6. Expand fuel supply ahead of demand. Uranium exploration and mining, conversion, enrichment, fabrication and specialized fuel capacity require early investment because of their long lead times.
7. Remove barriers if reprocessing is adopted. Governments with a policy of reprocessing should provide consistent long-term policy frameworks, with regulatory certainty to support closed fuel cycles.
8. Plan for waste management and decommissioning. Credible, funded strategies should cover storage, transport, recycling where adopted, disposal and decommissioning.
9. Strengthen the supply chain. Credible pipelines should support investment in manufacturing, construction, engineering and qualified suppliers, aided by greater alignment of codes and procurement requirements.
10. Move from projects to programmes. Standardized designs, clear delivery models, early supply-chain engagement and coordinated procurement can transfer learning and reduce risk.
11. Build the workforce early. Strategies should evaluate skills needs across regulation, construction, operation and the fuel cycle, supported by education, training, knowledge exchange, international mobility and reskilling from adjacent industries.
12. Build public confidence. Enable communities to participate in early, sustained and evidence-based engagement and build understanding of the energy, employment and regional benefits of projects.

From targets to sustained programmes

Country assessments repeatedly show that long-term targets need intermediate milestones; programme continuity retains expertise and enables learning; institutional and financing capacity must match programme scale; and technology choices should support standardisation. Maintaining the existing fleet also preserves the sites, skills and supply chains needed for expansion.

The priority is implementation

The outlook is positive but conditional. Ambitions are sufficient and the pipeline is maturing, but the rate of reactor deployment needs to increase substantially. Projects needed in the 2030s depend on financing, licensing, manufacturing and workforce decisions taken now; capacity for the 2040s depends on turning initial projects into repeat programmes.

Tripling remains achievable if governments and industry preserve the fleet, complete current construction, commit to new projects and build repeatable delivery, financing, regulatory, fuel-supply and workforce capabilities. The targets exist; the task now is to build the delivery system capable of achieving them.