Nuclear Power Construction Rises Globally as Africa Adds Four Potential Newcomer Countries

Source : Green Building Africa: Nuclear Power Construction Rises Globally as Africa Adds Four Potential Newcomer Countries https://www.greenbuildingafrica.co.za/nuclear-power-construction-rises-globally-as-africa-adds-four-potential-newcomer-countries

by Bryan Groenendaal • 6 October 2026

The global nuclear industry recorded its highest ever electricity production in 2025, but the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2026 shows that the sector remains largely stagnant outside China.

Nuclear power generation increased by 1.1% to 2,703 TWh during the year. China accounted for the entire increase, with its nuclear output rising by 7.6%. Nuclear generation outside China declined by 0.2%, remaining at approximately the level recorded in the mid 1990s.

The report also found that nuclear power’s share of global commercial electricity generation fell from 9% to 8.8% in 2025. This was the lowest share in 45 years and approximately half the peak of 17.5% recorded in 1996.

At the end of 2025, global operating nuclear capacity stood at 368.6 GW, down 0.5 GW from the previous year. The annual balance between reactor startups and closures also turned negative for the first time since 2021, with four reactors connected to the grid and seven closed.

As of 1 July 2026, 411 reactors were operating in 31 countries, excluding reactors in long term outage. The average age of the global operating fleet had increased to 32.9 years, with 269 reactors having operated for at least 31 years.

China drives construction

The number of reactors under construction increased to 73 across 14 countries by mid 2026. China accounted for 37 of these units, more than half the global total and five more than a year earlier.

Russia remained the leading international supplier, with 29 reactors under construction globally. Seven are being built in Russia, while the remaining 22 are located in nine other countries, including four each in China, Egypt, India and Türkiye.

The report said 12 construction starts were recorded in 2025, the highest number since 2010. Nine were in China, two in Russia and one in South Korea. During the six years from 2020 to 2025, Chinese and Russian state controlled companies carried out 51 ou the 52 construction starts worldwide.

However, the report identified significant delays across the industry. Between 25 and 28 of the 73 reactors under construction are behind schedule, wit at least 11 experiencing further delays. None of the 16 reactors connected to the grid in nine countries between 2023 and 2025 was completed on time.

The average construction period for those 16 reactors was 10/9 years. In comparison, the average construction period for the remaining 15 units, excluding Slovakia’s Mochovce 3 reactor, was 9.1 years.

Renewables continue to outpace nuclear

The report highlights the widening gap between nuclear power and renewable energy deployment. Solar capacity increased by 510 GW in 2025, while wind capacity rose by 159 GW. Solar and wind together generated more than twice as much electricity as nuclear power.

For the first time, solar generation alone exceeded nuclear generation globally. Solar and wind also accounted for the entire increase in global gross electricity production during the year.

Battery storage deployment accelerated alongside renewable expansion. Approximately 78% of the world’s grid scale battery energy storage capacity was added between 2023 and 2025. In 2025 alone, 104 GW of battery capacity and 257 GWh of storage were connected to electricity grids.

China recorded a 40% increase in solar generation in 2025, reaching 1,162 TWh. Solar and wind together generated almost five times as much electricity as China’s nuclear fleet.

In the European Union, wind and solar provided 30% of electricity generation, compared with a 23% share for nuclear power. Wind and solar also generated more electricity than all fossil fuels combined for the second consecutive year.

Four African countries pursue nuclear plans

South Africa remains the only country in continental Africa operating nuclear reactors, with two ageing units at Koeberg that recently underwent a 20-year life extension refurbishment. Egypt has a nuclear plant under construction. The report identifies Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda as African countries pursuing plans to introduce nuclear power.

The four countries are at different stages of development, but none has reached the stage of active reactor construction.

Ghana

Ghana has established a Nuclear Regulatory Authority, a Nuclear Power Institute within the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission and Nuclear Power Ghana, the company responsible for developing the country’s first nuclear power plant.

The United States and Japan are supporting efforts to position Ghana as a potential African leader in small modular reactor deployment. However, the country still needs to address legislation covering nuclear liability, radioactive waste and spent fuel management.

The report also notes that Ghana’s total installed generating capacity is approximately 5 GW. This could make it difficult to integrate a large conventional reactor into the national grid without significant investment in transmission and system stability.

Kenya

Kenya has created the Nuclear Power Energy Agency and has announced plans to begin construction of a large reactor in March 2027.

The proposal has faced opposition from local communities, civil society organisations and members of parliament. The report says there was no clear information by mid 2026 on the proposed reactor technology, unit size, financing model or construction company.

It therefore considers a construction start in 2027 highly unrealistic.

Nigeria Nigeria has signed nuclear cooperation agreements with several countries and has considered developing up to 4 GW of nuclear capacity. In May 2025, the Minister of Power said the country would favour small modular reactors rather than large conventional units.

Despite these ambitions, nuclear power was not included in Nigeria’s 2024 Integrated Resource Plan, the country’s official electricity generation roadmap through to 2045.

Nigeria has instead recorded strong growth in solar power. In 2025, it overtook Egypt to become Africa’s second largest importer of Chinese solar panels after South Africa.

Uganda

Uganda has reaffirmed plans to develop as much as 24 GW of nuclear capacity. This would be 12 times the country’s total installed generating capacity in 2025/

The government has proposed bringing the first two large reactors into operation by 2033. However, the report found that Uganda currently has no confirmed technology provider, financing plan or legislative framework for the programme.

The country also lacks an electricity grid capable of absorbing the proposed capacity. The report describes Uganda’s plans as a clear example of the gap between political declarations and practical implementation.

Newcomer projects

The report identifies Bangladesh, Egypt, Türkiye and newly added Uzbekistan with active reactor construction. All of the projects are being implemented by the Russian nuclear industry.

Bangladesh has two Russian designed reactors under construction at Rooppur. The first unit began fuel loading in April 2026 after repeated delays linked to the Covid 19 pandemic, the Russia Ukraine war, financial transaction difficulties and foreign currency shortages.

Egypt is building four Russian VVER 1200 reactors at El Dabaa. The first unit was initially scheduled to start operating in 2026, but commissioning has been postponed to 2028. Egypt is expected to begin repaying a US$25 billion Russian loan in 2029.

In Uzbekistan, construction began in June 2026 on a Russian designed 55 MW small modular reactor at the Jizzakh site. The country is also the world’s fifth largest producer and supplied of natural uranium.

Decommissioning remains a major challenge

The number of closed nuclear reactors reached 224 by mid 2026, representing approximately one third of all reactors ever connected to the grid.

Only 25 closed reactors, or about 11%, have been fully decommissioned. Just 10 sites, equivalent to 4% of all closed reactors, have been released from regulatory control as greenfield locations.

The average decommissioning period is 22 years, with timelines ranging from six to 51 years. Canada, France, Russia and the United Kingdom have not yet fully decommissioned a single reactor.

The report concludes that nuclear power remains concentrated in a small number of countries, with China responsible for most recent growth. Outside China, operating capacity is declining while ageing fleets, construction delays, decommissioning costs and unresolved waste management issues continue to weigh on the sector.

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