Global nuclear power capacity could more than triple by 2060, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said.
The agency said countries were increasingly turning to nuclear energy to meet rising electricity demand and strengthen energy security.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi disclosed this at the agency’s 70th General Conference in Vienna, where he highlighted the growing importance of nuclear energy in the global transition towards more secure and reliable power systems.
Grossi said renewed interest in nuclear power was also being driven by emerging sectors, including artificial intelligence data centres, which require dependable electricity supplies.
He also pointed to the potential use of nuclear energy in maritime shipping, which accounts for about 80 per cent of global trade.
The IAEA chief said developing countries increasingly viewed nuclear energy as an important component of economic development, adding that the agency was supporting them through training, capacity building and technology transfer.
“Many developing countries consider nuclear energy an essential element of their economic development,” Grossi said, stressing the need to ensure wider access to advances in nuclear technology.
He, however, said the expansion of nuclear energy must be accompanied by strong international cooperation, safety measures and effective safeguards.
Grossi said the IAEA continued to address nuclear safety concerns, including efforts to prevent an accident at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, while cooperation and verification remained necessary regarding Iran’s nuclear programme.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in a statement delivered on his behalf by Monica Juma, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna, said the world was “on the cusp of a revolution in nuclear power generation”.
He said the expected expansion of nuclear power would require careful management and monitoring amid concerns over attacks on nuclear facilities and nuclear proliferation.
About 4,000 participants are expected to attend the IAEA General Conference, the agency’s main policymaking body, which focuses on nuclear energy, safety, security and the peaceful applications of nuclear technology.
