The world's nuclear electricity production will reach a historic high in 2025–2026, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Friday.
In his address at the IICEC Conference: Business World and Sustainable Energy, Fatih Birol noted the substantial increase in interest in nuclear power despite problems such as financing.
He explained this phenomenon in terms of three key trends: a U-turn in countries that said they would not revert to nuclear power, the construction of new nuclear plants globally, and the development of nuclear technologies.
“Firstly, the countries that said 'I will not use my nuclear facilities' and 'I will reduce the share of nuclear' have completely changed their minds. Who were these countries? Japan, for example, has started to restart its existing power plants. South Korea has the same policy as Sweden.”
Secondly, Birol cited that new nuclear power plants have started construction in several countries, with China leading the way.
”New conventional nuclear power plants are being built in France, Poland, Türkiye and the US. They have just been completed in the United Arab Emirates,” he said.
The third is the emerging nuclear technologies, which have the potential to improve energy security and help achieve the target of net zero emissions by 2050.
Acknowledging the critical role that nuclear energy plays in achieving this goal, countries last year announced a declaration to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050 at the UN Climate Summit COP28 in Dubai.
In line with the declaration, Türkiye has planned for the construction of a further two nuclear plants, in addition to the country’s first at Akkuyu, which is under construction in the Mersin province on the Mediterranean coast.
By Firdevs Yuksel and Handan Kazanci
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr