Conventional nuclear reactors typically take at least a decade to construct, while emerging technologies like fusion are unlikely to provide electricity to the grid before the mid-2030s at the earliest. Although interest in the sector is surging, the authors of the newly released report indicate that global construction times for large-scale plants have actually doubled since the 1970s.
“For conventional nuclear fission, new reactors still take about a decade to build, even before accounting for permitting, which can add another 3-8 years.” The report adds that for fusion, the “leap from one grid-connected demonstration to a fleet of reliable, commercially operating reactors is likely to remain a long-term endeavour.”
In simple terms, building a traditional nuclear plant is a slow process that often gets bogged down by paperwork and complex engineering, frequently taking twice as long today as it did fifty years ago. Even newer, smaller reactor designs that were expected to be faster are still in the early testing phases and have not yet shown they can be delivered rapidly. Meanwhile, fusion—a futuristic method of generating power—is still largely confined to laboratory experiments, and it will likely be several decades before it becomes a standard part of our electricity system.
The report “Energy Technology Perspectives 2026” was published by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris, France. It was prepared by the IEA’s Energy Technology Policy Division under the direction of Chief Energy Technology Officer Timur Gül.
