Sama Bilbao y León points to investment opportunity of about $2tn over next 15 years
A significant increase in nuclear supply chain capacity and capability will be needed to deliver a 500-GW projected expansion of nuclear power globally by 2050, Sama Bilbao y León, director-general of the World Nuclear Association (WNA), told an event in Warsaw, Poland.
Bilbao y León said at the World Nuclear Supply Chain conference that governments should work to align energy and industrial policies with the goal of speeding up supply chain and skills development.
She said new nuclear deployment should move from current individual reactor projects to a “programmatic approach” of continuous government programmes for new reactor buildouts.
According to Bilbao y León, WNA analysis has shown there will be an investment opportunity for the global supply chain valued at about $2tn (€1.76tn) over the next 15 years as demand for nuclear power is expected to grow.
She said the supply chain will need to see more government support and a boost in engagement between businesses and industrial players.
“The supply chain is central to delivery, and a healthy supply chain requires government support and an environment that enables business and draws investment," Bilbao y León said.
“We need to learn by doing, not just talking about it,” she warned.
Data by the International Atomic Energy Agency shows that as of 2025, 416 reactors are in operation worldwide, with another 61 under construction at various stages.
The WNA has said about 100 additional have been planned and about 300 proposed.
At the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai in late 2023, the international nuclear industry and 22 governments signed pledges committing to at least a tripling of global nuclear energy capacity by 2050 to help meet net-zero climate ambitions.
