Driving the next generation of nuclear energy
Nuclear energy is experiencing renewed global momentum. Accelerating electricity demands – especially from transportation and industrial operations, the data centers needed for the AI economy, improving grid resilience, and intensifying efforts to decarbonize – are converging to make nuclear power an indispensable pillar of global energy expansion and transformation.
Web Story
7min
2026-07-23
01
<p>Nuclear power remains the world’s second‑largest source of low‑emissions electricity and plays an important role in global energy <a href="https://www.abb.com/global/en/company/stories/energy-expansion">expansion and energy transformation</a>.</p>02
<p>The nuclear sector faces interconnected challenges – including heavy capital requirements, complex regulatory frameworks, evolving cyber threats, demographic workforce gaps and execution risks.</p>03
<p>ABB technology used in one of every four nuclear power plants in the world, helps operators reduce risk, optimize costs, and deliver safe, resilient and efficient nuclear operations across the full plant lifecycle.</p>A GLOBAL ENERGY IMPERATIVE
Nuclear power currently provides approximately 9 percent of the world's electricity from around 416 operating reactors in 31 countries,1 making it the world's second-largest source of low-carbon electricity after hydropower. The International Energy Agency (IEA) describes the emergence of a new 'Age of Electricity', where surging demand from transport, industry and digital infrastructure, including AI-powered data centers, is transforming energy systems at unprecedented speed. As of end 2025, global nuclear capacity stood at around 420 GW, with approximately 78 GW under construction – one of the highest construction pipelines seen in three decades.
Asia is the world's primary growth engine.2 China alone accounts for nearly half of the global capacity under construction , with total installed capacity projected to reach 100 GW by around 2030. Of the 68 reactors commissioned worldwide over the past decade, 56 were built in Asian countries. Egypt, India, and Türkiye each have approximately 5 GW under construction, signaling that nuclear energy is increasingly seen as a strategic tool for energy security and decarbonization in developing economies. Additionally Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea and Sweden are among the countries leading the development of next-generation small modular reactors (SMRs), with some projects moving toward construction and deployment.
The IEA's Net Zero Pathway explicitly calls for nuclear to represent 10 percent of global energy supply by 2050, alongside a significant expansion of renewables, confirming that the nuclear renaissance is both a global and generational commitment.
“With the world facing an ever-increasing demand for energy, nuclear can provide stable baseload power for industrial operations and the data centers needed for AI development, as well as supporting grid resilience and decarbonization efforts. Collaboration across industry and governments is critical to scale advanced technologies such as SMRs and modernize conventional nuclear power plants as part of an expanded energy ecosystem.”
Per Erik Holsten, President of ABB’s Energy Industries division
GLOBAL TRENDS SHAPING THE NUCLEAR ENERGY LANDSCAPE
Five key global trends are reshaping the nuclear energy landscape
-
Nuclear capacity is set to more than double by 2050
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) projections indicate global nuclear capacity could reach between 561 GW(e) (low estimate) and 992 GW(e) (high estimate) by 2050, making nuclear a central pillar of the low-carbon energy transformation. [3]
-
416 reactors in operation across the world
As of November 2025, 416 reactors provide 376.3 GW(e) of nuclear capacity globally. In 2024 421 operating reactors generated approximately 2,617 TWh of low-carbon electricity – enough to supply hundreds of millions of homes. [4]
-
New nuclear units are being connected to the grid
Several new units were connected to the grid in 2024–2025 in countries including UAE, France, USA, China and India, reflecting accelerating global deployment of advanced nuclear technologies. [5]
-
Non-electric uses of nuclear energy are growing
In 2024, nuclear reactors provided 2,644 GWh of electrical equivalent of heat for district heating (94.1 percent), industrial heating (4.1 percent) and desalination (1.9 percent). [6]
-
New business models
Technology companies are driving new business models, with agreements and expressions of interest for 30 GW of SMRs, mainly to power data centers, signaling nuclear's expanding role in the digital economy. [7]
BUILDING FOR NUCLEAR’S NEXT CHAPTER
<p>Read the oped by Stuart Thompson, President, Electrification Services, ABB on building for nuclear's next chapter.</p>
THE CHALLENGES AHEAD: SCALE, SPEED AND SAFETY
<p>Despite the continued momentum, the nuclear power sector faces consistent and complex challenges that must be addressed to deliver on its potential.</p>
High upfront capital costs and long construction timelines
<p>Nuclear projects require multi-billion-dollar investments over decades, making cost predictability and financing structures critical barriers to accelerated deployment.<sup>8</sup></p>Complex and evolving regulatory and licensing requirements
<p>Navigating multi-jurisdictional regulatory frameworks adds time, cost and uncertainty, demanding early engagement with experienced technology and compliance partners.</p>Increasing cyber security and digital resilience demands
<p>As nuclear plants digitalize their operations, they face growing exposure to sophisticated cyber threats targeting critical infrastructure.</p>Ageing workforce and knowledge transfer challenges
<p>Nuclear- and grid-related professions face some of the steepest demographic challenges, with retirements outnumbering new entrants by ratios of 1.7 and 1.4 to 1 respectively.<sup>9</sup></p>Execution risk in complex, multi-supplier projects
<p>Large nuclear projects involve hundreds of suppliers and subcontractors, making project coordination, standardization and integrated delivery models essential to avoiding costly delays and cost overruns.<sup>10</sup></p>ABB SOLUTIONS ACROSS THE NUCLEAR VALUE CHAIN
ABB has been a trusted partner in the nuclear energy sector since the 1960's as it supports safe, reliable and efficient operations through automation, electrification and digital solutions.
It supports operators across the full nuclear lifecycle. From early project design and construction through modernization and long-term operation. Its comprehensive, integrated portfolio is aligned to the full nuclear value chain but mainly focused on the Conventional Island (infrastructure such as turbines and cooling, which is similar to gas power plants and makes up 80 percent of a nuclear facility).
Another priority for ABB is supporting emerging SMR technologies, helping to reduce project risk and improve outcomes. Modular SMRs are designed for flexibility and scalability and they can be deployed in diverse geographic and industrial applications where larger, conventional plants may not be feasible.
A critical focus is supporting the modernization of existing nuclear plants. ABB helps operators extend asset life through targeted upgrades to electrical and automation systems, combined with digital monitoring that improves performance, reliability and safety. This approach enables plants to operate more efficiently while preparing for long-term lifecycle extensions.
LISTEN TO OUR ABB PODCAST
Learn what a low-carbon future might look like, how small module reactors can complement both renewable and conventional nuclear energy sources and why they’re increasingly seen as a practical pathway to expanding low-carbon energy capacity.
EXPLORE ABB SOLUTIONS FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
Distributed Control System
- Distributed Control System
- Excitation Systems
- eHouses
- Asset Performance Management
- Advanced Process Control
- Cyber Security Services
- Care
- (DCS) modernization services
ABB ABILITY™ SYSTEM 800xA® DISTRIBUTED CONTROL SYSTEM
Integrates process, electrical and safety controls into one system to improve asset utilization. It also reduces operational risks by providing a unified platform throughout the power plant.
ABB UNITROL® EXCITATION SYSTEMS
Ensures the reliable and stable operation of synchronous generators, maintaining nuclear grid stability and voltage regulation.
ABB EHOUSES
Prefabricated, transportable substations enabling faster and more cost-effective deployment of electrical infrastructure.
ABB ABILITY™ ASSET PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT (APM)
Equips nuclear operators with predictive intelligence and advanced analytics to identify potential issues before they cause unplanned downtime
ABB ABILITY™ ADVANCED PROCESS CONTROL
(APC) uses Model Predictive Control to enable plants to operate at their true economic optimum.
ABB ABILITY™ CYBER SECURITY SERVICES
Provides robust, purpose-built defenses against evolving digital threats, aligned with critical infrastructure requirements and defensible architecture principles.
ABB CARE
Offers a simple, structured way to support automation infrastructure throughout the nuclear value chain. It enables operators to maintain and modernize systems to maintain optimum performance, protect existing investments and prepare plants for the future.
DISTRIBUTED CONTROL SYSTEM (DCS) MODERNIZATION SERVICES
Helps nuclear power plants upgrade their control system platforms while minimizing operational downtime.
Tab 1
- Tab 1
CUSTOMER CASE STUDIES AROUND THE WORLD
<p>Here’s a snapshot of ABB’s technologies being considered by customers around the world.</p>
Canada
Modernizing excitation systems at the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station
ABB's Canadian-built UNITROL® 6000 X-power technology will enhance stability, safety and operational efficiency across eight units, supporting Canada's low-carbon energy growth for decades to come.
Sweden
Enabling development of new nuclear power in Sweden
ABB has signed an MoU with Blykalla to develop advanced nuclear reactor technology, with the aim of supporting Sweden’s efforts to produce clean and reliable baseload energy. This was followed by another MoU with Blykalla to support and accelerate the development of SMR`s to the maritime industry. And now a Joint Development Agreement has marked a step forward in the collaboration and formally advances the partnership.
Industrikraft – which ABB is a core member of – and Vattenfall have signed an agreement allowing joint investment and collaboration enabling the development of new nuclear power in Sweden.
United States
Supporting nuclear power companies in the United States
Oklo Inc, an advanced nuclear technology company, has signed a MoU with ABB and has commissioned a digital monitoring room at its headquarters in California. Equipped with ABB technology, the monitoring room, will anchor Oklo’s operator training and simulation center.
ABB has also signed a MoU with Paragon Energy Solutions to develop integrated Instrumentation, control and electrification solutions for the nuclear power industry in the United States, The collaboration will explore a single-vendor solution that covers nuclear facilities, to support operations across existing plants and next generation SMRs.
Another MoU with SimGenics, an advanced plant simulator company, supports the development and provision of engineering, training and DCS simulators for the nuclear energy industry, primarily in North America.
Belgium
Enabling safety, sustainability and reliability at ENGIE SA
ABB is partnering with French electrical utility company, ENGIE SA, to critically improve the long-term safety and reliability and sustainability of a nuclear power plant operated by its Belgian subsidiary Electrabel SA. This includes the retrofit of six switchboards with new circuit breakers and the replacement of three with new Unigear ZS1 units. A total of 76 circuit breakers will be replaced with ABB VD4 breakers using the latest vacuum technology.
A SHARED ENERGY FUTURE
With the continuous growth of global electricity demand, there is no silver bullet. Meeting the need for secure, affordable and low-carbon electricity will require multiple energy sources, with nuclear playing an essential role alongside renewables. As a technology partner ABB supports safe, reliable and efficient operation of nuclear plants through automation, electrification and digital solutions. In this way we help the nuclear power industry to outrun across its lifecycle.
Tab 1
- Tab 1