MOMENTUM FOR CHANGE | COMMENTARY
The momentum for change
The world faces unprecedented challenges – climate change, energy
insecurity, and the growing demand for clean industrial heat. The momentum of today suggests that for nuclear technology the next 70 years may prove even more transformative than the first.
By Sama Bilbao y León, Director General, World Nuclear Association
SEVENTY YEARS AGO, ON 27 AUGUST 1956, Calder Hall in the United Kingdom became the world’s first industrial scale commercial nuclear power station, planting the seed for a global energy transformation. Calder Hall along with Obninsk in Russia, Shippingport in the USA, and Marcoule in France were early realisation of the optimism that followed President Eisenhower’s Atoms for Peace vision to harness nuclear energy for human progress. In the decades since Calder Hall first connected to the grid, the civil nuclear sector has grown from an ambitious idea into an indispensable pillar of modern society. Today there are 438 nuclear power reactors operating, together with 224 reactors that have now shutdown, they have provided people in more than 30 countries with clean, reliable, and affordable electricity over the last 70 years avoiding more than 80bn tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions – making nuclear one of the largest sources of clean energy worldwide. Beyond the power sector, nuclear technology has flourished in ways the pioneers of the mid-20th century could not have imagined. The world has seen over 800 research reactors operate in more than 70 countries, in universities and research institutes, advancing medicine, agriculture, and industrial innovation. Nuclear techniques today reach all areas of our lives from agriculture and the food we eat, historical and geological measurements, and producing lifesaving medical radioisotopes. Lloyd’s Register also shows that some 700 maritime
nuclear reactors have been used at sea since the 1950s. Combined with land-based power and research reactors, that is over 2000 nuclear reactors with thousands of years operating experience. Nuclear technology has ventured beyond land and sea, and beyond Earth itself, supporting space exploration missions. Radioisotope thermoelectric generators have powered iconic space missions –from Voyager to Perseverance – carrying human ingenuity to the outer reaches of our solar system and beyond. This progress has been underpinned by the expertise
and leadership of countless engineers, scientists, operators, regulators, and policymakers. Yet as we celebrate this legacy, we must also acknowledge pathways not taken. Had the world expanded nuclear energy as rapidly as early pioneers hoped, today’s climate and energy security crises might have been far less severe. Nonetheless, the momentum we see today suggests that the next 70 years may prove even more transformative than the first. The world faces unprecedented challenges – climate change, energy insecurity, and the growing
demand for clean electricity and heat. Nuclear technology is uniquely positioned to address these needs. Around the world, governments have signalled renewed
commitment to nuclear energy. At time of writing, 38 countries have endorsed the declaration to triple global nuclear capacity by 2050. At the same time, the financial community and major energy users from data centres, shipping and petrochemicals, have united behind the same goal. This coalition of the ambitious highlights the essential role of nuclear energy as a cornerstone to meet the growing electricity and energy demand. and eagerness to deliver the reactors, fuel services, and advanced technologies required. Our World Nuclear Outlook Report projects that global
nuclear capacity could reach 1446 GWe by 2050, exceeding the 1200 GW target set in the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy, but only if government targets are met. The report identifies 50 countries where plans are in place for nuclear capacity to be in operation in 2050, with established nuclear countries such as China, France, India, Russia, and United States accounting for nearly 1000 GWe of the projected capacity by 2050. From Calder Hall’s first kilowatt to today’s ambitious
global commitments, the history of civil nuclear energy is a story of progress, resilience, and human ingenuity. The discoveries of the 20th century reshaped our world. The choices we make in the coming decades will determine whether nuclear energy fulfils its full potential. Now is the time for forward-thinking governments, global industry leaders, financiers, and civil society to work together and take timely action to turn those ambitions into action. This is our chance to deliver a cleaner, more secure energy future for everyone everywhere, powered by nuclear energy. The first 70 years planted the seed. The next 70 will grow
the forest. ■
www.neimagazine.com | April 2026 | 55
In 1956, the world’s first nuclear-powered electricity generating station began operating at Calder Hall in
Cumbria.Source: BNFL
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