Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 2 hrs ago
IAEA chief says nuclear power could more than triple by 2060
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi expects nuclear power use to more than triple by 2060 as electricity demand grows, including from AI data centres.
In 2025, more than 400 reactors in over 30 countries produced 10% of the world’s electricity and a quarter of its low-carbon electricity.
More than 60 reactors are now under construction, and Grossi said countries increasingly see nuclear power as a way to strengthen energy security.
He also warned that war in Ukraine is putting the Zaporizhzhia plant at risk, with power losses, limited backup supplies and nearby military activity.
Grossi said technical work needed for a diplomatic agreement with Iran has been done, but inspectors must return for a deal to be sustainable.
He urged the parties to resume negotiations, while also raising concerns about North Korea’s nuclear programme and reporting progress on questions about Syria’s past nuclear activities.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said nuclear power could more than triple by 2060.
He said electrification, AI-powered data centres and technology companies’ demand for reliable, carbon-free power could drive growth.
In 2025, more than 400 reactors in over 30 countries produced 10% of global electricity and a quarter of its low-carbon electricity.
More than 60 new reactors are under construction, according to Grossi.
Grossi also raised concerns about nuclear programmes in Iran and North Korea and threats to nuclear safety in Ukraine.
- Who
- Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
- What
- Grossi said nuclear power could more than triple by 2060.
- When
- Friday, October 23, 2026.
- Where
- In the IAEA’s annual report to the United Nations General Assembly.
- Why
- Grossi said growth could be driven by electrification, AI-powered data centres and technology companies’ demand for reliable, carbon-free power.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Opposition forces led by Ahmad al-Sharaa ousted the Bashar al-Assad-era government in Syria.
Grossi reported that the Assad-era government had been constructing a reactor configured to produce fissile material for possible use in nuclear weapons.
More than 400 operating reactors in over 30 countries produced 10% of global electricity, according to the IAEA.
Grossi told the UN General Assembly that nuclear power could more than triple by 2060.
- Projection
- Nuclear power could more than triple by 2060
- Current generation
- 10% of global electricity in 2025
- Low-carbon share
- One quarter of global low-carbon electricity in 2025
- Operating reactors
- More than 400 in over 30 countries
- Reactors under construction
- More than 60
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What people are saying
In 2025, more than 400 operating reactors in more than 30 countries produced 10% of global electricity and a quarter of its low-carbon electricity
More than 60 new reactors are under construction and the projections for future nuclear capacity have shifted dramatically upward
I call on the parties to redouble their efforts towards agreeing a diplomatic solution that includes the IAEA’s indispensable verification role, without which no agreement can be sustainable
IAEA inspectors must be able to return to Iran expeditiously