World nuclear generating capacity could more than double by 2050 reflecting a shift in the global debate over energy and the environment amid growing concerns over energy security and climate change, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says in a new report.

For a second successive year, the Vienna-based agency has revised up its annual projections of the potential growth of nuclear power during the coming decades, with recent events such as the Covis-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions and military conflict in Europe impacting the reliability of energy systems, impeding energy flows across regions and leading to significant increases in energy prices.

The agency said there is growing recognition of the role of nuclear energy as a key contributor to the security of energy supply to avert future energy supply and price shocks.

In its new outlook report for global nuclear capacity for electricity generation by 2050, the Vienna-based UN agency has increased its high case scenario by 10% compared with last year’s report. In 2021, the agency revised its up annual projections for the first time since Japan’s Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear accident in 2011.