IAEA Sees Nuclear Demand More Than Triple by 2060

Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said global demand for nuclear power could more than triple by 2060 as AI adoption and the rapid growth of data centers drive up electricity needs. On the 23rd, local time, he formally presented the IAEA’s 2025 annual report to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The report said forecasts for global nuclear capacity have been raised for five consecutive years, amid net-zero policies, rapid electrification, and strong demand from technology companies for carbon-free electricity. In the high-growth scenario, operating nuclear capacity reaches 992 GW by 2050, 2.6 times its 2024 level. That would require adding 676 GW of nuclear capacity over the next 25 years; the report projects long-term nuclear demand will exceed three times today’s level by 2060.

As of 2025, 413 reactors were operating in 31 countries, supplying about 10% of global electricity and 25% of carbon-free electricity. Another 72 reactors, with a combined capacity of 77.2 GW, were under construction in 15 countries. Grossi forecast that small modular reactors (SMRs) would account for about 24–28% of future additions to nuclear capacity. The report said major technology companies are adopting SMRs and existing nuclear plants as key options for supplying reliable, round-the-clock power to AI-focused data centers.

Grossi criticized North Korea for expanding its nuclear program without IAEA oversight, calling it a case of crossing a “red line” in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The agency said limited access for inspections and verification prevents it from drawing safeguards conclusions about North Korea’s nuclear materials and activities. Unable to access facilities including Yongbyon, it monitors developments through satellite imagery and analysis of open-source information, and expressed deep regret over North Korea’s pursuit of its nuclear program in violation of Security Council resolutions.

Grossi said technical reviews for a diplomatic agreement on Iranian nuclear facilities attacked by the United States and Israel last June had been completed, and that no agreement could be sustained without IAEA verification. He urged inspectors to return promptly to verify unaccounted-for nuclear material, including highly enriched uranium (HEU), and called for negotiations to resume. He said risks at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant continued because of nearby military activity, limited supplies of diesel for emergency generators, and repeated outages on external power lines.

Grossi reported substantive progress on allegations of Syria’s past secret nuclear activity. The IAEA reaffirmed that the former government of Bashar al-Assad, ousted in December 2024, had attempted to build a secret reactor to produce weapons-grade nuclear material. The agency said it had worked with the Syrian government led by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa to conduct further site investigations and collect environmental samples.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said global demand for nuclear power could more than triple by 2060 as AI adoption and the rapid growth of data centers drive up electricity needs. On the 23rd, local time, he formally presented the IAEA’s 2025 annual report to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The report said forecasts for global nuclear capacity have been raised for five consecutive years, amid net-zero policies, rapid electrification, and strong demand from technology companies for carbon-free electricity. In the high-growth scenario, operating nuclear capacity reaches 992 GW by 2050, 2.6 times its 2024 level. That would require adding 676 GW of nuclear capacity over the next 25 years; the report projects long-term nuclear demand will exceed three times today’s level by 2060.

As of 2025, 413 reactors were operating in 31 countries, supplying about 10% of global electricity and 25% of carbon-free electricity. Another 72 reactors, with a combined capacity of 77.2 GW, were under construction in 15 countries. Grossi forecast that small modular reactors (SMRs) would account for about 24–28% of future additions to nuclear capacity. The report said major technology companies are adopting SMRs and existing nuclear plants as key options for supplying reliable, round-the-clock power to AI-focused data centers.

Grossi criticized North Korea for expanding its nuclear program without IAEA oversight, calling it a case of crossing a “red line” in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The agency said limited access for inspections and verification prevents it from drawing safeguards conclusions about North Korea’s nuclear materials and activities. Unable to access facilities including Yongbyon, it monitors developments through satellite imagery and analysis of open-source information, and expressed deep regret over North Korea’s pursuit of its nuclear program in violation of Security Council resolutions.

Grossi said technical reviews for a diplomatic agreement on Iranian nuclear facilities attacked by the United States and Israel last June had been completed, and that no agreement could be sustained without IAEA verification. He urged inspectors to return promptly to verify unaccounted-for nuclear material, including highly enriched uranium (HEU), and called for negotiations to resume. He said risks at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant continued because of nearby military activity, limited supplies of diesel for emergency generators, and repeated outages on external power lines.

Grossi reported substantive progress on allegations of Syria’s past secret nuclear activity. The IAEA reaffirmed that the former government of Bashar al-Assad, ousted in December 2024, had attempted to build a secret reactor to produce weapons-grade nuclear material. The agency said it had worked with the Syrian government led by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa to conduct further site investigations and collect environmental samples.