Rising electricity demand driven by electrification, digitalisation, artificial intelligence and industrial growth is placing renewed emphasis on the need for firm and secure baseload power generation. At the same time, the nuclear sector faces challenges related to project delivery, financing, regulatory capacity and workforce availability. This plenary session will examine the policy market and institutional conditions required to enable the deployment of new nuclear at scale. Ministers will discuss pathways and enabling conditions to accelerate new nuclear construction projects.

Major industrial revolutions are often driven by a symbiotic relationship between energy and technology, in which a dominant power source and a breakthrough technology evolve together, each enabling and accelerating the development of the other.  Nuclear-powered artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-enhanced nuclear energy systems are poised to evolve in a mutually reinforcing dynamic, positioning them at the forefront of an emerging industrial revolution capable of addressing the scale of the world’s energy challenges. As artificial intelligence drives unprecedented growth in computing demand, nuclear energy is emerging as a critical enabler. In parallel, artificial intelligence promises to accelerate licencing, facilitate construction and improve operations of nuclear power plants. This session will discuss the symbiosis of AI and nuclear, and assess deployment scenarios over the next five to ten years.

This fireside chat will examine the growing recognition that current regulatory frameworks must evolve to remain effective, proportionate and innovation enabling, while continuing to uphold safety and public trust. More than seventy years ago, early pioneers of civil nuclear energy were able to design and construct experimental reactors such as the Experimental Breeder Reactor I on government sites in the United States. Since then, reactor technologies, fuels, digital modelling and operational experience have significantly progressed. Yet regulatory processes in many jurisdictions have grown longer, more complex and less predictable, particularly for advanced and small modular reactors. Against this backdrop, regulatory approaches need to modernise design certification and construction oversight. This includes opportunities to streamline regulatory frameworks internationally.

Small modular reactors (SMRs) have the potential to reshape the future of nuclear energy. The NEA Small Modular Reactor Dashboard currently tracks progress on 127 SMR technologies worldwide. Many of these projects are in pre-licensing or licensing discussions and a growing number are moving toward construction, reflecting rising interest from both governments and industry. SMRs promise enhanced safety through passive systems, as well as lower costs and shorter construction timelines enabled by factory-based modular manufacturing. They can also serve remote grids and provide industrial heat as well as electricity. However, significant challenges remain. These include developing reliable supply chains for new reactor designs, managing the financial risks of first-of-a-kind (FOAK) projects, sustaining a skilled workforce and adapting regulatory frameworks to accommodate advanced designs, materials and innovative fuels. This plenary session will provide an opportunity to assess progress across the sector and discuss innovative financing models to support deployment.

The world of nuclear energy financing is changing, and changing quickly, with new players entering the market: from the tech sector to private equity and venture capital. All large-scale infrastructure projects carry cost and construction risk, but nuclear energy projects offer a well-established record of return on investment once commissioned. Governments and the private sector are now exploring innovative financing structures to unlock new sources of capital. Governments can play a decisive role in enabling private sector lenders to finance nuclear power projects, particularly given their high upfront capital costs, long construction timelines, and policy sensitivity. Support typically focuses on reducing specific risks that private lenders cannot readily absorb on their own. Mechanisms such as loan guarantees, regulated asset base (RAB) models, contracts for difference (CfDs) and power purchase agreements can help mitigate these risks. Pension funds, insurers and private equity could then provide the stable, patient capital required to move projects toward final investment decisions. This session offers an opportunity to hear which models they believe work best and the scale of government support required during construction.

Ensuring a reliable nuclear fuel supply chain is crucial for both maintaining current nuclear power capacity and supporting its expansion. The forthcoming NEA analysis on the security of nuclear fuel supply (the orange book), highlights the extent to which the supply of uranium, conversion, enrichment and fuel fabrication provide both challenges and opportunities for like-minded countries. The orange book suggests that as global demand for nuclear energy rises, fuel supplies, some of which are currently vulnerable, must not only increase, but also adapt to minimise dependence on unreliable suppliers. Working collaboratively among like-minded countries to build a resilient and reliable supply is a requisite for the assurance of new nuclear energy projects. This session will provide an opportunity for leading nuclear fuel companies to showcase recent progress and to discuss the conditions for investments in the security of nuclear fuel supply.

- Senior official (forthcoming), US Department of Energy - 2027 announcements - William D. Magwood, IV, Director-General, Nuclear Energy Agency

Nuclear energy can transform energy access in economies worldwide, unlocking economic and social benefits for hundreds of millions of people. Nations such as Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Mongolia, Nigeria, the Philippines, Rwanda and Uganda are exploring the potential of nuclear energy to transform domestic energy systems and improve regional grid stability. Large-scale reactors and SMRs offer tailored solutions for the energy needs of emerging economies, meeting the growing demand, while overcoming grid infrastructure limitations. This session will explore opportunities for collaboration to help energy systems and energy access leap forward. It will highlight expertise and technology sharing between NEA member countries and emerging economies interested in civil nuclear power.

For the first time since the 1980s, many countries are developing new nuclear programmes, aimed at addressing the need for energy security and sustainability. However, many recent nuclear construction projects in OECD countries have faced delays and cost overruns. Though these challenges can be partly explained by the difficulties inherent of deploying innovative first-of-a-kind designs, the fact remains that the workforce and supply chains may not yet be prepared to deal with substantial new build programmes. Construction risks impact timelines and costs, influencing the confidence of key stakeholders and undermining the credibility of nuclear energy as a solution to energy availability and affordability. It is therefore important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the nuclear supply chain as well as to formulate partnerships and policies that enable competitive and timely nuclear new build. This session will bring together policymakers and executives from across the nuclear supply chain to assess which risks remain, how to mitigate them and the lessons from past successes that can help ensure new nuclear is delivered on-time and on-budget.

Launched in 2024 as part of the NEA’s Plan 2035 initiative, the Roadmaps Young professionals delegation (YPD) was created to ensure that emerging leaders have a structured and substantive voice in these high-level discussions. The YPD assembles a nationally diverse group of professionals under 30, nominated by companies within the industry, representing a broad cross-section of the nuclear value chain, including engineering, legal affairs, fuel cycle, policy and nuclear power plant operations. In addition to participating in ministerial-level dialogues, the YPD benefits from a dedicated programme that introduces participants to cutting-edge technological developments and emerging nuclear applications. Activities have included technical site visits to companies pioneering advanced reactor technologies and engagement with new sectors where nuclear innovation is expanding. This Special Presentation of this year’s Young Professionals Delegation provides an opportunity for them to share their experiences thus far, in their careers and what they see as priorities for sector growth for leaders in government and the private sector.

- Senior official (forthcoming), US Department of Energy - William D. Magwood, IV, Director-General, Nuclear Energy Agency