Global annual investment in nuclear power must triple to about $250bn if governments want to hit energy targets, the World Nuclear Association said, urging banks to channel more private capital into the sector. The sector has seen a revival as countries seek reliable low‑carbon electricity, with Japan and Taiwan reopening shut plants and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz calling the 2013 shutdown a “serious strategic error”.

New plants remain expensive, long‑term and risky, so investors are hesitant. Sama Bilbao y León, WNA director‑general, noted that 50 countries have written plans that include nuclear, and that the required spend is far less than the $665bn earmarked for renewables or the $1.2tn for oil, gas and coal. The WNA estimates that nuclear spending will peak between 2041‑2045, with about $1tn for large reactors, $450bn for SMRs and $84bn to extend existing plants.

Currently the world spends roughly $75bn a year on nuclear projects, with ~80 reactors under construction, mainly in China, India, South Korea and Russia. Financing flows are shifting from public to fleet‑based orders—such as the US, UK Rolls‑Royce SMRs, and projects like Hinkley Point C—as banks like Bank of America, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Citi, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley pledge to reduce costs. The World Bank has lifted its ban, offering support to extend life and upgrade grids.

The industry is meeting financiers regularly to standardise funding, but first‑of‑a‑kind frameworks are still needed. New financing structures from the UK, Sweden, Canada, the Netherlands and Romania could serve as models.