Category: IAEA

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Another localized ceasefire brokered by the IAEA took effect near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) today, paving the way for repairs aimed at strengthening the site’s connection to the electricity grid and preventing a nuclear accident, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said.

Two weeks after off-site power was successfully restored to the ZNPP following a one-month outage – also made possible by temporary truce arrangements negotiated by the IAEA – demining and other preparations got under way this morning near a damaged section of the 330 kilovolt (kV) Ferosplavna-1 line, whose connection to the plant was cut six months ago.

Technicians are expected to begin the repairs on Saturday with the intention to re-connect Ferosplavna-1 to the site in the next few days. It would give the ZNPP access to two power lines after last month’s repairs of the 750 kV Dniprovska line, which had been disconnected for more than four weeks when it resumed supplying electricity to the plant on 23 October.

The IAEA team based at the ZNPP will be monitoring the new repairs, just as two Agency teams supervised last month’s activities on opposite sides of the frontline.

The initial plan had been to repair both lines simultaneously in October, when two localized and temporary ceasefires allowed technicians from both sides to work. While they restored the Dniprovska line, additional damage to Ferosplavna-1 was discovered at another location closer to the plant itself but outside of the initially agreed ceasefire zones, delaying its re-connection.

“Last month’s restoration of off-site power to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant was an extremely important development for nuclear safety and security, ending the tenth and longest complete loss of external electricity during more than three and a half years of war,” Director General Grossi said. 

“However, it is clearly not enough to just have one power line available for the plant, which used to have ten before the war. Following intense and complex consultations with the Russian Federation and Ukraine, we agreed on a new ceasefire window that will allow the additional repairs to proceed. Hopefully, also this power line will be re-connected soon, marking a new significant step for nuclear safety and security. It will further enhance the plant’s nuclear safety resilience,” he said.

The ZNPP’s six reactors have not produced electricity for more than three years and its six reactors are all shut down. But it still needs electricity to power the pumps used for cooling its reactor cores and spent fuel and to avoid a meltdown with a possible radioactive release. When the plant loses all external electricity, it relies on emergency diesel generators for the power it needs to operate its safety systems.

“Both sides recognize the risks posed by a prolonged loss of power as well as by limited off-site power redundancy at a nuclear facility. They have worked constructively with us to enable these vital repairs to proceed. However, the overall nuclear safety and security situation at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant remains highly precarious. We will only be able to claim success once this devastating war ends without a nuclear accident,” Director General Grossi said.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Two Ukrainian nuclear power plants (NPPs) have been operating at reduced capacity for the past ten days after a military attack damaged an electrical substation critical for nuclear safety and security, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

Substations are critical nodes in a country’s electrical grid, serving as facilities where voltage levels are transformed and controlled to ensure reliable power transmission. For nuclear power plants (NPPs), they are indispensable for maintaining off-site power supplies that support safety systems and cooling functions, making their integrity vital for nuclear safety and security. 

Following the latest military activity targeting a substation, during the night of 7 November, the Khmelnitskyy and Rivne NPPs were each disconnected from one of their two 750 kilovolt (kV) power lines. In addition, the grid operator ordered a reduction in electricity output of some of their reactors.

Today, although one of the affected lines has since been restored, the other remains out of service. Three reactors continue to operate at limited power, at the request of the grid operator.

“Reliable off-site power is vital for the maintenance and operation of nuclear safety functions. To this end, Agency experts will, through dedicated expert missions, continue to assess the functionality of substations critical for nuclear safety and security,” Director General Grossi said.

The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) remains connected to the grid after repairs carried out under the protection of IAEA-brokered localized ceasefires in late October and ten days ago. 

Ending a month-long outage of off-site power, this has allowed the resumption of maintenance of the plant’s safety systems. 

However, one of the two off-site power lines that were re-connected thanks to the recent repairs – the 750 kilovolt (kV) Dniprovska line – was again disconnected on Friday evening after the actuation of a protection system. The cause is still being investigated. The IAEA is engaging with both sides to assist in the timely restoration of the line, Director General Grossi said.

The IAEA continues to implement its comprehensive programme of assistance to Ukraine in nuclear safety and security. 

As part of the programme, the IAEA completed partial deliveries of items to the Joint Stock Company Mykolaivoblenergo consisting of electrical cabinets, circuit breakers surge arresters and similar items needed to maintain a reliable power supply for the safe operation of Ukraine’s NPPs.  Additional items, that are still in production, will be delivered in the coming months. These deliveries were possible with the support from Austria, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union.

In addition, the South Ukraine NPP received 12 gamma dose rate monitoring stations intended to enhance its radiation monitoring capability. The stations, once in operation, will feed also the IAEA’s International Radiation Monitoring Information System (IRMIS) with monitoring data, providing information on the radiological situation on the ground in the plant’s normal operation and during an accident. The delivery was supported by the European Union.

Ukraine’s Central Enterprise for the Management of Radioactive Waste received IT equipment and the Chornobyl NPP received an off-road vehicle. Both deliveries were funded by the United Kingdom and aimed at enhancing nuclear security measures at the two sites. 

These deliveries brought the total organised during the conflict by the IAEA to 174, amounting to over €20.5 million.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has regained its access to back-up electricity from the grid for the first time in six months, after today’s completion of repairs to a second power line under the protection of a localized ceasefire brokered by the IAEA, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said. 

The re-connection of the 330 kilovolt (kV) Ferosplavna-1 power line to the ZNPP today at 19:43 local time marks another significant step in efforts to prevent a nuclear accident during the military conflict, coming two weeks after the restoration of the 750 kV Dniprovska line ended a month-long outage of off-site power at the site.

“Immediately after the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant lost all off-site power on 23 September, we began working closely with both the Russian Federation and Ukraine to enable the repairs of both power lines, which are indispensable for being able to maintain nuclear safety and security at the site during this devastating war,” Director General Grossi said.

“As the damaged sections of the power lines were located in an active combat zone, this required complex negotiations with both sides to establish carefully coordinated temporary truce arrangements so that their technicians could work without risking their own lives. It took several weeks to get to this point, with the plant once again having access to two power lines. It is a good day for nuclear safety and security, although the overall situation remains highly precarious and our important mission in Ukraine is far from over,” he said.

The repairs of the remaining damaged section of Ferosplavna-1 got under way on Saturday morning around three kilometres from the ZNPP’s site perimeter after the area had been demined the day before. Technicians repaired a damaged cable between two pylons, with an IAEA team monitoring their work. The line – which had been cut since 7 May 2025 – was finally re-connected to the plant this evening.

It came just over two weeks after the successful repairs of the Dniprovska line on 23 October 2025 restored off-site power to the ZNPP, which for a month had relied on emergency diesel generators for the electricity it needs for essential nuclear safety and security functions.

For the first time since May 2025, the ZNPP once again has redundancy in its external power supply. However, the external electricity situation at the plant remains extremely fragile. During more than three and a half years of conflict, the site has lost all access to external electricity ten times. Before the conflict, it was connected to the grid through ten power lines.

The ZNPP’s six reactors have not produced electricity for more than three years and its six reactors are all shut down. But it still needs electricity to power the pumps used for cooling its reactor cores and spent fuel and to avoid a meltdown with a possible radioactive release. 

Despite today’s re-establishment of back-up power at the ZNPP, developments elsewhere in Ukraine underlined the highly precarious nuclear safety and security situation during the conflict. 

Two operating NPPs – Khmelnitskyy and Rivne – had to reduce output of electricity today following an overnight attack on an electrical substation critical for nuclear safety and security. Last week, Rivne also temporarily reduced output following damage to another substation, underscoring the importance of such energy infrastructure for the safe operation of NPPs.

“Electrical substations are critical for our efforts to maintain nuclear safety and security during the war. Their continued degradation is a deep source of concern in this regard. I continue to call for maximum military restraint in order to maintain nuclear safety and avoid an accident with serious radiological consequences,” Director General Grossi said.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Nuclear power delivers low-carbon, reliable electricity. As more countries aim for net-zero emissions, nuclear energy is increasingly seen as a crucial partner to renewable sources like wind and solar. 

The IAEA’s Power Reactor Information System (PRIS) tracks the status of nuclear power reactors globally.  All information and data items are provided voluntarily by countries and collected by the IAEA via data providers nominated officially by Member States. 

Here are six key trends from the Nuclear Power Status in 2025 that show how nuclear energy uptake is evolving:

1. Global Nuclear Capacity can Increase by more than double by 2050

According to the IAEA projections, global nuclear power capacity could double by 2050 — reaching between 561 GW(e) (low estimate) and 992 GW(e) (high estimate). This growth would make nuclear a key player in the clean energy transition.

2.  416 Nuclear Reactors are in operation around the world

PRIS is tracking reactor level data, and as status of reactors is updated on ongoing basis, it can vary from one day to another. As of 19 November 2025 there is 376.3 GW(e) of nuclear capacity provided by 416 reactors in operation across the world. In 2024, 421 operating reactors with total capacity of 377.0 GW(e) generated about 2617.3 TWh of electricity — enough to supply hundreds of millions of homes with low-carbon energy.

The United States remains the world’s largest nuclear power producer, with 94 reactors (96,952 (MW(e)) generating about 781.9 TWh of electricity in 2024.

China is rapidly expanding its nuclear fleet, operating 57 reactors (55.3 GW(e ) and building 29 (29.6 GW(e)) more. In 2024, it produced over 417.5 TWh of nuclear electricity. 

Nuclear energy also plays a big role in Europe’s electricity mix.  France leads the way with 57 nuclear reactors (63.0 GW(e)) generating about 67,3% of the country’s electricity in 2024— the highest share in the world. 

Other countries with high nuclear electricity production share include Slovakia with 60,6% of its electricity from nuclear, Hungary relies on it for 47,1% and Finland uses nuclear for 39,1% of its electricity needs.

3. 63 Reactors are Under Construction

Globally, there are 63 reactors under construction, which will add 66.2 (GW(e)) of capacity once completed. This shows that many countries are investing in nuclear energy to meet growing electricity needs, reduce emissions and climate goals.

4. New Nuclear Units Connected to the Grid

Several new nuclear units were connected to the grid during the period of 2024- 2025, including:

• Barakah-4 (PWR, 1310 MW(e)) in the United Arab Emirates
• Flamanville-3 (EPR, 1000 MW(e)) in France
• Vogtle-4 (PWR, 1117 MW(e)) in the United States
• Kakrapar-4 (PHWR, 630 MW(e)) and Rajasthan-7 (PHWR, 630 MW(e)) in India
• Fangchenggang-4 (PWR, 1000 MW(e)) and Zhangzhou-1 (PWR, 1126 MW(e)) in China.

These additions reflect global momentum in deploying advanced nuclear technologies.

5. More Countries are Entering the Nuclear Scene

Nuclear power is growing worldwide.

South Africa is Africa’s only current nuclear power producers, with two reactors (1.9 GW(e)) providing about 3.9% of its national electricity. But, for the first time, Egypt is constructing four nuclear power reactors with total capacity of 4.4 GW(e) — marking a significant step toward diversifying their energy sources and developing local expertise.

South Asia is expanding nuclear capacity too, Bangladesh is building its first two reactors (2.2 GW(e)), while India is constructing six more (4.8 GW(e). Across Europe, Türkiye is constructing four reactors (4.5 GW(e)), Ukraine two (2.1 GW(e)), and Russia five (5.0 GW(e) — strengthening energy security and low-carbon power generation.

6. Non-Electric Uses of Nuclear Energy are Growing

In 2024, nuclear reactors provided 2,644 gigawatt hours of electrical equivalent of heat for:

• District heating (94.1%)
• Industrial heating (4.1%)
• Desalination (1,9%)

China and Russia lead in these non-electric applications, showing how nuclear energy can support broader energy needs.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Sharing the facts, engaging with youth, building momentum: it’s the second week of COP30 and the IAEA’s Atoms4Climate campaign is going strong. Focusing on energy, food, water and oceans, the IAEA and its partners at COP are getting the word out about nuclear.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Since the inception of nuclear law, a widening gap has emerged between its growing importance  and the limited number of academic programmes available at universities and higher-education  institutions. Beyond specialised workshops and seminars for select audiences, there is a pressing need for academic programmes that can offer in-depth training at scale to meet the demands of a rapidly expanding energy sector. 

The UPP helps to fill that gap. Nuclear law now forms part of standard university academic programmes, with increasing cohorts of learners and researchers in the field. Since the launch of the Programme, the IAEA has supported partner universities in capacity-building and course development by training professors and teaching staff, designing syllabi, developing teaching methodology and providing teaching materials. The  initiative’s goal is to ensure that universities can deliver nuclear law courses independently and to the highest academic standards within their national educational systems.

The University of Buenos Aires was the first to launch its postgraduate course in nuclear law in May 2024 and is now running its second session. As of 30 October 2025, the other five partner institutions have also launched their courses.

“The creation of the Diploma in Nuclear Law at the University of Buenos Aires embodies a forward-looking commitment to cultivating a new generation of legal experts who, in line with the IAEA’s mission, will ensure that the peaceful uses of nuclear energy advance human development, international security, and the rule of law in a responsible and sustainable manner,” said Emiliano J. Buis, professor and course coordinator at the School of Law, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

Other academic leaders have also echoed their appreciation for the timeliness and need for the programme. 

For Alexandria University in Egypt, the new postgraduate course in nuclear law “is critical for enhancing awareness and understanding of the legal frameworks regarding peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology and is ideal for regulatory bodies, industry professionals and legal practitioners working in this field,” said Walid El-Barky, professor and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, Egypt.

In Brazil, the nuclear law course at the Institute of Nuclear Engineering is taught by Brazilian professors who are specialists in nuclear law and regulation. Many of them have been trained by the IAEA, both in law and in technical matters. “The Institute regards this initiative as a successful and pivotal starting point for consolidating legal expertise within Brazil’s nuclear sector and beyond,” said Rômulo de Castro Souza Lima, professor and course coordinator at the Institute of Nuclear Engineering of the National Nuclear Energy Commission, Brazil.

In the UAE, “the nuclear law course at Khalifa University draws students with technical and legal backgrounds from across the region, providing a foundation in law for nuclear technology deployment,” said François Foulon, professor and course coordinator at the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Khalifa University, UAE.  

At the University of the West Indies, the graduate-level course in nuclear law prepares students to navigate the complex intersections of law, science, and sustainable development. “The launch of the course positions our university as a regional leader in advancing legal education in one of the most consequential fields of our times,” said Ramona Biholar, Deputy Dean (Graduate Studies and Research) and course coordinator, Faculty of Law, The University of the West Indies on Mona Campus, Jamaica.

Natalie Zimmelman, Chief Executive Officer, Wits Plus, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, said that the nuclear law short course, launched as part of the UPP, “is critical to ensuring the safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear technology and aligns with the university’s strong commitment to civic action and responsibility.”