"Two years ago in Dubai in one of these big climate conferences - they are called the COPS, it was the 28th COP - for the first time, everybody around the world ... agreed that nuclear energy should be accelerated, not just tolerated," noted Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency. "Accelerated, because we know and we finally accepted the indispensable nature of this through the energy mixes in the world. So from that moment on, and on that occasion, a number of candidates said, well, we should perhaps triple our nuclear percentage. So, of course, big words, big promises.
"From promise to progress, the sector is experiencing a return to realism, as countries expand existing programmes, launch new ones and update regulations to meet future energy needs."
Grossi said that for the first time in the commercial history of nuclear exploitation, the market is demanding it. "The market is pushing for nuclear. It's no longer about states taking decisions top-down and going for an avenue that says nuclear has to be there. And it is obvious where this is happening."
He told delegates to "keep engaged because there are great moments ahead for all nuclear, all over the world."
Grossi's comments were echoed by Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, who said at World Nuclear Exhibition (WNE) in 2021 that, looking at the data, he dared to say that nuclear energy may make a comeback. "And today, nuclear is back. Nuclear is back in a very strong way," he declared. "2025, this year, according to our numbers, is the highest amount of electricity generated from nuclear in the world."
Furthermore, he noted, 70 gigawatts of nuclear power plants are under currently construction - "the highest ever in the last three decades". In addition, 40 nuclear newcomer countries have plans to build a nuclear industry. "So all these three things coming together, I think, what I said four years ago, nuclear is going to make comeback, is a reality now.
"In my view, nuclear has a golden opportunity to make this comeback to see a golden age of nuclear power as we have seen in the '70s and '80s. But this is not taken for granted."
Birol added: "The market is there, demand is there, technology is there, and the field of policy is moving in the right direction. Whether or not, in this very fertile and excellent basis, nuclear industry, governments will make sure that we are entering the golden age for nuclear power remains to all of you."
Industry gets call for action
"Nuclear energy has moved from the margins of energy discourse to the centre of global climate action, national energy security and socio-economic progress," World Nuclear Association Director General Sama Bilbao y León said in a keynote speech later during the opening day.
(Image: WNN)
"Nuclear will be back at COP again, COP30 taking place in Belem, Brazil next week," she added. "World Nuclear Association will be there, representing the industry and providing authoritative information and influencing decision makers. We hope for more countries, and key stakeholders to join our growing coalition of the ambitious. But declarations alone are not enough. We - the nuclear industry - must now deliver."
She said the world will need at least 1000 GWe of new nuclear generating capacity in the next 25 years. "Over the past 25 years we added 100 GWe, so we need to do much more than triple our delivery capacity. The groundwork is being laid, but the path ahead requires unity, urgency, and unwavering commitment."
Bilbao y León declared: "To succeed, we must turn political goodwill into pragmatic policies. That means streamlining licensing, securing affordable financing, expanding our supply chains, and investing in human capital. Governments will set the frameworks - but it is us, the industry, who must build and operate this future. Let me be clear: a successful project anywhere is a success everywhere. Every reactor that comes online, every innovation that proves viable, every community that embraces nuclear - these are victories for all of us. They build confidence, attract investment, and inspire replication."
She called for the nuclear industry to "unite around shared goals ... Share best practices, support each other's projects, and speak with one voice when it comes to the value of nuclear energy. The world is watching. The nuclear industry must be ready."
