Only five reactors currently under construction worldwide

22.09.2025

Source: E & M powernews

The "World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2025" (WNISR 2025) evaluates data and trends in nuclear power worldwide. It focuses in particular on new construction projects and energy transition issues.

The latest World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2025 was presented on September 22. The 589-page report analyzes the status and development of the global nuclear industry. It summarizes data on the operation, production, age, new construction and decommissioning of nuclear power plants and highlights the situation in key countries such as China, South Korea, Taiwan, France, Japan, Russia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.

According to the report, one focus is on the variety of new construction programs both in existing nuclear countries and in countries that are considering going nuclear. According to the report, only five new nuclear power plants are currently under construction worldwide, three of which are in China. Many projects have stagnated at the planning stage.

The development of small modular reactors (SMRs) is presented in a separate chapter. The study analyzes how nuclear energy can be integrated into modern electricity systems and compares it with the use of renewables.

The report was published by the Kyoto Club in Rome, a non-profit organization founded in 1999. Its members are companies, associations and governments that want to meet the greenhouse gas reduction targets set by the Kyoto Protocol. In Germany, these include the Heinrich Böll Foundation, which is close to the Green Party, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, which is close to the SPD, and the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE). It was compiled by Mycle Schneider Consulting.

Russia dominates the global market

The report pays particular attention to the role of Russia. It dominates the international nuclear market, while China operates most domestic nuclear power projects. The report examines the dependence of Western nuclear power projects on Russian services and products.

Another chapter deals with the situation in Fukushima 14 years after the disaster and the challenges that still exist there. A separate chapter on Ukraine and its reactors is dedicated to the dangers of military attacks. There is also an analysis of the status of decommissioning projects for 218 reactors worldwide. According to the report, it often takes decades for reactors to be dismantled and there are still no safe repositories for radioactive waste.

The interdisciplinary group of authors of WNISR 2025 consists of 18 experts from countries such as Germany, Japan, South Africa, Mexico and the USA. Scientists from renowned universities were involved, including TU Berlin, Nagasaki University and the University of British Columbia. Support was also provided by foundations such as Bellona and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

Italian tendencies

In the foreword to the report, Kyoto Club President Letizia Magaldi recalls Italy's special role in the history of nuclear energy. In the 1960s, Italy was at times the third largest producer of nuclear power in the world. However, following the referendums in 1987 (after Chernobyl) and 2011 (after Fukushima), the country abandoned nuclear power.

According to Magaldi, a possible return is now being discussed in Italy. However, studies by the Bank of Italy have shown that new nuclear power plants are unlikely to help reduce electricity prices. Instead, they could cushion price volatility and reduce dependence on international energy markets. Magaldi concludes: "Renewable energies are no longer a promise, but a reality that is growing rapidly and strongly."

Nuclear power projects remain difficult to calculate

The authors also emphasize the limitations of new reactor concepts: Construction times would remain at least twice as long as originally planned, investment costs would be exceeded and there would be dependencies on international supply chains. In addition, the development of renewable energies offers a cheaper alternative.

According to the report, the growing role of solar and wind power, batteries and power electronics is already changing the logic of energy systems. Nuclear energy is only compatible with decentralized and volatile structures to a limited extent. Grid-forming inverters or storage systems could therefore react more flexibly to fluctuations in demand than nuclear power plants.

It is concluded that nuclear power could possibly play a complementary role in the energy mix, but that the transformation of energy systems will clearly be dominated by renewable energies.

The World Nuclear Industry Report 2025 (WNISR2025) is available for download as a PDF.

Author: Susanne Harmsen