Global nuclear power capacity could more than triple by 2060, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said, marking the sixth consecutive year the agency has raised its projection for nuclear expansion.

In its outlook report "Energy, Electricity and Nuclear Power Estimates for the Period up to 2060", released on September 14, the IAEA said capacity could grow more than threefold by 2060 as countries increasingly weigh nuclear power to meet electricity demand and safeguard energy security, with small modular reactors (SMRs) expected to become a significant new source of clean energy.

As of the end of 2025, 413 nuclear reactors were in operation worldwide, providing 377.1 GW of installed nuclear capacity, according to the report. By 2060, global nuclear capacity is projected to reach 696 GW under the low-case estimate, roughly double the 2025 level, and 1,284 GW under the high-case estimate, about 3.4 times the 2025 level.

The role of SMRs will continue to expand in the coming decades, the report said. Under the high-case estimate, SMRs would account for 28% of all new nuclear capacity by 2060, compared with 23% under the low-case estimate. The report also stressed the need to prepare for reactor retirements, noting that two of every three nuclear reactors have operated for more than 30 years and 45% have run for more than 40 years.