Nuclear Power Plants for the Renaissance: Looking into the Crystal Ball

Abstract

A commitment to nuclear power requires a perspective spanning decades and even centuries. Predicting the future is likely to be fraught with rather large uncertainties and individual countries will have different perspectives and crystal balls. However, there are several trends that could impact the growth and direction of nuclear power during the 21st century. These trends include the rate of growth of nuclear power, the practical availability of future nuclear technologies and developments in other energy and industrial sectors. This paper focuses on some of the lessons learnt over the last decades, insights from the ongoing construction and some thoughts on the future of the different nuclear technologies and the activities that the IAEA is involved in these areas.