A high-impact May for World Nuclear Association
May was a month of high-impact engagement for World Nuclear Association, with our team actively contributing to major international forums – from World Bank discussions to International Energy Agency events. We’ve been at the forefront of key conversations shaping the future of nuclear energy. Read on for highlights of where we’ve been and how we’re helping drive the global nuclear agenda forward.
Building nuclear capacity at the World Bank
The Association continued its collaboration with the World Bank to support knowledge exchange on nuclear energy. King Lee, Head of Policy and Industry Engagement, delivered a presentation at a nuclear energy learning event co-hosted by the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The event explored the current landscape of nuclear energy, with a focus on the potential role of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region. Discussions highlighted the importance of nuclear power programmes, their potential development benefits, and the unique challenges facing countries in the LAC region.
Working with World Economic Forum
This month, as part of the Association’s ongoing engagement with both World Economic Forum (WEF) and the wider finance community, our Director General Sama Bilbao y León spoke alongside Rafael Grossi, Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in a workshop for financiers exploring key challenges and opportunities to investing in nuclear energy. The Association’s work with WEF builds on our involvement in the Financing the Tipling of Nuclear Energy event held in New York Climate week in September 2024, and will continue through further engagement planned with the finance community in 2025-26, including the Finance Strategic Summit during Symposium 50.
Power Market Design at International Energy Agency
King Lee joined market participants, policymakers, regulators, system operators and technical experts examining the performance of liberalized power markets and reforms that could provide signals for capacity investment and resource adequacy. The workshop provided essential input to future International Energy Agency (IEA) publications, including a special IEA Power Market Design publication later this year.
Uzbekistan International Energy Week 2025
As Uzbekistan advances its nuclear power programme, preparations for the construction of a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) plant are actively underway. King Lee participated in Uzbekistan International Energy Week 2025, joining a high-level panel alongside Otabek Amanov, Deputy Director, Uzbekistan Directorate for Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Construction; Hua Liu, Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation, IAEA; Pavel Bezrukov, Director for the NPP Construction Project in Central Asia, Rosatom; and Mingang Huang, Chief Economist, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).
The discussion focused on key aspects of nuclear infrastructure development for SMR deployment, and how Uzbekistan can benefit from international expertise and best practices as it builds its first nuclear power facility.
Advancing Private Sector Participation in India’s Nuclear Power Sector
Shah Nawaz Ahmad, our Senior Advisor in India, took part in the panel on Nuclear Technology in Diplomacy: International Collaborations, Technology Transfer, and Fuel Security, during a high-level workshop focused on strengthening India’s nuclear power sector. The session explored critical topics including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), investment strategies, spent fuel management, and policy measures to enhance fuel security and facilitate technology transfer. Discussions centred on how the Indian government can leverage international collaboration and private sector participation to build a more dynamic and resilient nuclear energy ecosystem.
IAEA International Conference on Stakeholder Engagement for Nuclear Power Programmes
Dan Walpole, Head of Communication & Marketing, Henry Preston, External Communication & Media Manager, and Leneka Scott from our Policy and Industry Engagement team, participated in the IAEA International Conference on Stakeholder Engagement for Nuclear Power Programmes in Vienna, Austria.
Dan spoke in the panel: All Smoke, No Fire: Strategies to Counteract Misinformation and Disinformation introduced by the film director Robert Stone, which addressed the escalating challenge of false narratives in the nuclear sector. He shared insights on safeguarding public trust during crisis response, and highlighted effective tools to combat misinformation.
Henry took part in the panel alongside members of the Association’s Board, as well as a senior representative from Google: Nuclear Energy for Real-World Needs: An End-User Dialogue, which addressed how major energy consumers are driving the adoption of nuclear energy. The session focused on the role of nuclear power in meeting real-world energy demands – and Henry highlighted the energy trilemma and the importance of energy reliability and security.
Leneka’s presentation examined how risk allocation across stakeholders in the nuclear industry varies based on the regulatory design of a country, through a comparative study of the different regulatory framework in place in US and Canada.
Reuters’ SMR & Advanced Reactor 2025 Conference
Serge Gorlin, Head of Membership & Business Development, took part in Reuters’ SMR & Advanced Reactor 2025 Conference in Nashville, US, emphasizing the importance of regulators being given the resources to align on objectives and requirements at an international level.