Concerns about nuclear host nations becoming dependent on state-sponsored suppliers from countries such as Russia and China are largely unfounded and can be mitigated through “prudent regulatory measures”, according to a report by the New Nuclear Watch Institute (NNWI).

The report says that, contrary to some media and political narrative, the risks to energy security arising from the involvement of non-OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) nuclear vendors at each stage of the plant’s lifecycle, from before construction through operation to decommissioning, are “of a low degree, manageable and can be mitigated through prudent regulatory measures”.

Since the current state of the nuclear export market implies that increased new build activity is likely to involve non-OECD state-supported nuclear vendors from Russia and China, there has been speculation of geopolitical energy security threats to potential host countries, the report says.