What were the big nuclear energy stories of 2025? What to watch out for in 2026...

The World Nuclear News team looks back over the most read articles in 2025 - with topics including Canada's ground-breaking SMR project, the 50th World Nuclear Symposium, the eventual signing of a contract for the Czech new nuclear project, China's SMR completing cold testing, and the drone damage to Chernobyl's New Safe Confinement.

Then World Nuclear Association Director General Sama Bilbao y León picks out the key themes of the year, noting the fast-growing interest from the financial sector in investment opportunities in nuclear, plus the declaration from energy users such as Google, Meta and Dow Chemicals to support the goal of at least tripling nuclear energy capacity by 2050.

With a number of projects making progress in countries without recent experience of nuclear construction there has also been a lot of focus on developing supply chains, reflected in the success of the World Nuclear Supply Chain conference held in Poland.

Looking ahead to 2026 there are big set-piece events to look forward to - such as World Nuclear Symposium in London, World Nuclear Supply Chain conference in the Philippines and World Nuclear Fuel Cycle conference in Monaco - with big moments also expected for the first units in Bangladesh and Turkey, a restart for Palisades as well as first concrete due to be poured for Hungary's Paks II project.

Bilbao y León says the "stars are definitely aligned" for nuclear and the coming year "is the moment where the global nuclear industry really needs to be proactive and active and make the most of this opportunity". 

She says: "We really need to work together with our governments. We need to work together with the nuclear regulators, with the finance community, with large energy users. And we cannot leave behind civil society. We have seen major improvements in acceptance and interest in nuclear, but we need to continue to be very proactive to engage with civil society, to make sure that no question is left unanswered."

Key links to find out more:
World Nuclear News
Canada's first SMR project: How is CAD20.9 billion cost calculated?
World Nuclear Association

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Episode credit:  Presenter Alex Hunt. Reporters Claire Maden and Warwick Pipe. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production