Nuclear power seeks results: 417 reactors and 78 in build

Nuclear power is back at the top of global energy policy, but with a warning: announcements are no longer enough. Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), opened the agency's ministerial conference in Incheon, South Korea, on Tuesday 27 October with a message focused on delivery. "Now is the time to make concrete progress in delivering nuclear power," he said in the opening session, according to the agency's statement.

What happened

The event, held every four years and coming to South Korea for the first time, brings together around 800 participants from 60 member states, eight international organisations and some 85 companies, according to the Yonhap news agency. Over three days, ministers and technical officials are discussing new builds, regulation, advanced reactors, workforce training and supply chains.

The starting point is the IAEA's Power Reactor Information System (PRIS): 417 power reactors operating in 31 countries, with a combined capacity of around 380 gigawatts. Another 78 reactors are under construction in 17 countries and would add roughly 81 gigawatts. The agency estimates that more than 60 countries are launching or considering nuclear programmes.

The projections have also changed direction. The IAEA has raised its global capacity expectations for a sixth consecutive year: from 377 gigawatts at the end of 2025 to between 641 and 1,045 gigawatts by 2050, under its low and high scenarios. The document released alongside the conference, the Global Nuclear Power Development Outlook, examines financing, infrastructure readiness and small modular reactor (SMR) technology.

Grossi focused on what remains unresolved. "Political commitment alone does not answer that question," he said, referring to how quickly nuclear power can strengthen energy security. In his view, successful programmes need effective regulators, skilled workers and dependable supply chains, as well as planning and international cooperation. He also urged countries to "engage communities while their views can still shape decisions".

His example was Barakah in the United Arab Emirates. All four units are operating and together provide around a quarter of the country's electricity, the result of cooperation with South Korea. The host country wants to go further: Deputy Prime Minister and Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon argued for turning South Korea into a global manufacturing hub for nuclear technology, including SMRs, according to Yonhap.

The map: 170 plants, three dominant countries

The map brings together the 170 plants that group those 417 operating reactors. Each dot shows the plant's net capacity, the number of units and the technology; the legend orders colours by operating capacity. Together, the plants shown add up to 379,611 megawatts, consistent with the 380 gigawatts cited by the IAEA.

Three countries account for more than half of that capacity. The United States has 54 plants and 96,952 megawatts, 25.5% of the map's total. France has 18 plants and 63,000 megawatts (16.6%), and China another 18 plants and 58,721 megawatts (15.5%). Those three fleets alone explain 57.6% of the operating nuclear capacity shown.

Spain appears with five plants and 7,123 megawatts: Almaraz (2,017 megawatts and two reactors), Ascó (1,992 and two), Cofrentes (1,064 and one), Vandellòs (1,047 and one) and Trillo (1,003 and one). At the other end, the world's largest facility is Bruce in Canada, with eight reactors and 6,478 megawatts. Barakah, with four reactors and 5,348 megawatts, confirms on the map the example Grossi cited.

The reading has a clear limit: the map shows plants in operation, not the 78 reactors under construction, and capacity is net at the database's consultation date. It does not measure electricity generation or avoided emissions either. It shows where the nuclear fleet stands today, not how much it will grow.

What comes next

The conference runs until Thursday 29 October with national statements and sessions on new projects, regulation, advanced reactors, jobs and maritime or remote applications. It is due to close with a statement from the conference president. The next ministerial meeting is not scheduled until four years from now.

In the meantime, the decisive question is not how many countries announce plans, but how many reactors reach the grid. The 78 under construction and the high scenario of 1,045 gigawatts by 2050 depend on permits, financing and construction work that is not yet finished. That is the distance between a conference and a working power plant.