Nuclear power is back at the centre of the global energy race, with new projections showing capacity could rise 44% over the next decade as governments and power-hungry industries look for reliable electricity.
The world may have as much as 535 gigawatts of installed nuclear power by 2036, up from 372 gigawatts last year, according to a report published Wednesday by BloombergNEF.
China is driving much of the build-out. The research provider said China had 59 gigawatts of reactors under construction at the end of 2025 and is on track to reach 102 gigawatts by the end of this decade. That would move it ahead of the United States as the world’s largest nuclear nation.
The development adds pressure on governments that are trying to balance electricity security, consumer costs and emissions targets. It also lands as industrial users, electrified homes and data centres demand more round-the-clock power.
Markets are watching nuclear developers, uranium suppliers and utilities as the shift could affect investment plans across power grids and fuel supply chains. Nuclear projects can run for years before producing electricity, and BloombergNEF said slow regulatory processes are still likely to hold back the pace of growth.
The United States has strong political support for the technology under the Trump administration, but only one commercial nuclear plant is currently under construction, according to BloombergNEF.
For an industry that spent years struggling to regain public and investor support after Japan’s Fukushima disaster, the tone has changed. “Nuclear power has essentially been ‘running in place’ since the Fukushima disaster in 2011,” the report said. “This status quo is set to change.”
