NEA Director-General William D. Magwood, IV, Deputy Director-General Nobuhiro Muroya and heads of government delegations at Roadmaps to New Nuclear 2025
The Roadmaps to New Nuclear brought together more than 300 delegates representing governments, industry, public and private financial sectors, academia, legal firms, think tanks and research institutions on 18-19 September 2025 to Paris, France. Co-hosted with the Government of Korea, the event focused on practical, near-term solutions to the most pressing barriers facing nuclear new build.
“Many different countries and players have joined the discussion on nuclear energy today; including industries that have never considered nuclear energy before, such as the high-tech sector and the chemical companies,” said NEA Director-General William D. Magwood, IV, during his opening remarks. “We are here because we know what we need to do to succeed. We need to rebuild supply chains, expertise and regulatory capacity. All this work is within reach, but it will require leadership and co-operation.”
NEA Director-General William D. Magwood, IV delivers opening remarks
The opening session included welcome remarks by OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann and a special address on nuclear energy and energy security, delivered by Svitlana Grynchuk, Minister of Energy of Ukraine. After reflections from the Co-chairs of the three previous editions Shaukat Abdulrazak, Principal Secretary at Kenya’s State Department for Science, Research and Innovation, addressed nuclear energy’s role in powering Africa. Framing remarks on financing models for nuclear energy were presented by Jamshid Ehsani, Partner, Head of Global Principal Structured Finance at Apollo Global Management.
Opening session speakers: OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann; Svitlana Grynchuk, Minister of Energy of Ukraine; Shaukat Abdulrazak, Principal Secretary at Kenya’s State Department for Science, Research and Innovation
Over the two days, conference participants discussed how to reinforce nuclear sector’s supply chain: from timely construction and skilled workforce development, to ensuring a robust nuclear fuel supply and resilience.
Representatives from the multilateral development banks that have signalled openness to nuclear energy, as well as major private capital players that have made nuclear financing announcements in recent months, contributed frequently to the exchanges on the policies and financing models required to scale up nuclear energy.
The wide-ranging programme also featured sessions dedicated to the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs), the role of artificial intelligence, the challenges and opportunities associated with the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle, the development of nuclear technologies for applications in space, the demand and supply of medical radioisotopes, as well as discussions on nuclear energy for emerging economies.
Breakout sessions at Roadmaps to New Nuclear
Announcements made during Roadmaps to New Nuclear 2025:
- The NEA will conduct a new in-depth study aimed at optimising the Korean electricity and energy system to meet the country’s policy goals. This system cost study will be carried out in collaboration with experts from key Korean institutions, including the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP).
- A new report containing a comprehensive analysis of the global potential, technical requirements, and policy opportunities of using small modular reactors (SMRs) for on-grid applications at current coal plant sites was launched during the Accelerating SMRs Summit on 18 September 2025. SMRs for Replacing Coal: Opportunities and Challenges for Small Modular Reactors was informed by direct engagement with stakeholders in the electricity and coal sectors.
- Nine nuclear industry associations issued an industry statement encouraging governments to support investment in nuclear fission projects encompassing all nuclear technologies, from large scale nuclear new build, to power up rates and lifetime extensions of existing reactors, to development and deployment of SMRs and microreactors.
- The United States announced that it will co-host Roadmaps to New Nuclear 2026. Read more here.
Photos: Krystal Kenney
