Nuclear reactors worldwide generated 2667 TWh of electricity in 2024, beating the previous record high of 2660 TWh which was set back in 2006, according to World Nuclear Performance Report 2025.

In this edition Jonathan Cobb, author of the report, outlines the key findings of the latest edition of the annual World Nuclear Association publication, which include the dominance of Asia in terms of new reactor capacity over the past decade.

There is also clear evidence that reactor performance does not decline with age - the reverse can be true with modernisation, uprates and long-term operation programmes helping capacity factors reach an average of 83% across the global fleet (the capacity factor is a percentage of what the output would have been if a reactor had operated at full capacity for every moment of a year).

Jonathan, who is senior programme lead, climate, at World Nuclear Association, also considers how likely it is that the record is going to be broken again in the next few years.

Key links to find out more:

World Nuclear News
World Nuclear Performance Report

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Contact info:
alex.hunt@world-nuclear.org

Episode credit: Presenter Alex Hunt. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production

Andy White, senior vice president of Energy and Environment International for Amentum, talks about his background and the work Amentum is doing in the UK and across Europe in the nuclear sector.

Among the topics covered:

* The change of attitudes which means that the future decommissioning process is included in the planning stages for new nuclear (and how that should reduce the number of 'surprises' when decommissioning plants)

* The company's work on new nuclear in the UK at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C and SMRs and operations in Poland, France, the Czech Republic as well as Norway and the Netherlands

* The benefits of bringing in technology, skills and people from other sectors (and countries) to help with what looks like being a forthcoming rapid expansion of new nuclear.

* Plus Amentum's nuclear fusion work, including at ITER, and the general outlook for nuclear, and how financing and regulation can help industry meet the demand for new capacity

We also bring you Claire Maden's conversation with Nima Ashkeboussi, vice president government relations and communications at Global Laser Enrichment, earlier this year at the World Nuclear Fuel Cycle conference in Canada.

In it he talks about the company's laser enrichment technology, explaining how it works and the big plans the company has - including 30-years' worth of work relating to the US Department of Energy's 200,000+ tonnes of depleted uranium. GLE's plan is to re-enrich this, so cleaning up a stranded asset and in the process providing a new source of fresh fuel.

GLE began a large-scale enrichment demonstration programme in May, and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission accepted for review the company's licensing application for a new facility to be built at Paducah, Kentucky earlier this month.

Key links to find out more:

World Nuclear News
Amentum
GLE
GLE submits full application for laser enrichment facility licence
Amentum, Multiconsult to assess Norway's nuclear options
Amentum awarded Sizewell C project management contract

Email newsletter:
Sign up to the World Nuclear News daily or weekly news round-ups

Contact info:
alex.hunt@world-nuclear.org

Episode credit: Presenter Alex Hunt. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production

Nuclear energy lawyer Vince Zabielski, partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, has advised on numerous nuclear energy projects across the world, including the UAE nuclear new-build programme as well as those in Turkey, Bulgaria and the United Kingdom.

A mechanical engineer before moving into law, he tells host Alex Hunt about the haircut that launched his career in nuclear, his switch to the law, and explains the important role played by nuclear energy lawyers which is, he says, essentially "problem solving", for example finding a path forward on risk allocation to allow what are giant projects to go ahead.

Based in Pillsbury's London office, Zabielski talks about the recent announcements from the UK about Sizewell C funding and explains the benefits of the Regulated Asset Base financing system which is being used there, rather than the Contracts for Difference system used at the Hinkley Point C project and explains why he hopes the RAB system will be adopted elsewhere in Europe.

He also talks about the challenge ahead to meet the ambitious goals for future nuclear energy capacity, including how regulators can help. And he explains why he'd encourage young people to consider a career in nuclear power.

Also in this episode, in the news round-up, Claire Maden reports on the UK Government taking the Final Investment Decision on Sizewell C - which will feature two EDF EPRs with a capacity of 3.2GW - and the finalising of the project shareholdings. She also outlines the key findings of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's Small Modular Reactor Dashboard, which has identified 127 different SMR designs around the world.

Key links to find out more:
World Nuclear News
Sizewell C gets final go-ahead decision
There are now 127 different SMR designs, finds NEA report
The NEA SMR Digital Dashboard
Pillsbury: Vince Zabielski

Email newsletter:
Sign up to the World Nuclear News daily or weekly news round-ups

Contact info:
alex.hunt@world-nuclear.org

Episode credit: Presenter Alex Hunt. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production