National nuclear energy policy is a national policy concerning some or all aspects of nuclear energy, such as mining for nuclear fuel, extraction and processing of nuclear fuel from the ore, generating electricity by nuclear power, enriching and storing spent nuclear fuel and nuclear fuel reprocessing. Nuclear energy policies often include the regulation of energy use and standards relating to the nuclear fuel cycle.
Nuclear power stations operate in 31 countries. China has 32 new reactors under construction, and there are also a considerable number of new reactors being built in South Korea, India, and Russia. At the same time, at least 100 older and smaller reactors will "most probably be closed over the next 10-15 years".Michael Dittmar. Taking stock of nuclear renaissance that never was Sydney Morning Herald, 18 August 2010. So the expanding nuclear programs in Asia are balanced by retirements of aging plants and nuclear reactor phase-outs. Global nuclear electricity generation in 2012 was at its lowest level since 1999.
Following the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, Germany has permanently shut down eight of its reactors and pledged to close the rest by 2022. Italy voted to keep their country non-nuclear. Switzerland and Spain have banned the construction of new reactors. Japan's prime minister has called for a dramatic reduction in Japan's reliance on nuclear power. Taiwan's president did the same. Mexico has sidelined construction of 10 reactors in favor of developing natural-gas-fired plants. Belgium planned to phase out its nuclear plants by 2025, later postponed by 10 years to 2035.
List
Country Operating Reactors Constructing Reactors Debates to Construct Reactors Planning to Phase Out Existing Reactors Nuclear Restriction Policy Albania Algeria Argentina Armenia Australia Open-pool Australian lightwater reactor Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission Nuclear power is illegal (see also nuclear energy in Australia) Austria Nuclear reactions are forbidden by law since 1978, prolonged in 1997 Bangladesh Belarus Belgium (2035) Phase-out by 2035 Brazil Bulgaria Burma Canada Chile China Croatia Czech Republic Denmark 1985 law prohibits production Egypt Finland France Share of 50% nuclear in power sector by 2035 (Loi énergie-climat, 2019 - pushed back from 2025 in Energy Transition for Green Growth Act (LTECV) from 2015) Ghana Germany (phase out completed) Original phase-out planned for 2022, but delayed to 15 April 2023 Greece Research reactor GRR-1 in extended shutdown Hong Kong Hungary India Ireland 1999 law prohibits production Israel Iran Italy Italy considers return to nuclear power Phase out in late 1980s, a first attempt to restore nuclear power was rejected in 2011. In 2026 the Parliament approved a law allowing the building of new power plants (see also nuclear power in Italy, 1987 Italian referendums and 2011 Italian referendums). Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Mexico Morocco Netherlands Nigeria New Zealand North Korea Norway Pakistan Philippines Portugal Research reactor decommissioned in 2019 Poland Romania Russia Serbia Construction of nuclear power plants was banned in 1989. The Law was repealed in November 2024. As of January 2025 Serbia is in talks with French government to build a nuclear power plant. Slovakia Slovenia South Africa South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Sweden Former phase-out plans scrapped. Limit of 10 total reactors also scrapped."Näringsutskottets betänkande 2023/24:NU5. Ny kärnkraft i Sverige". 23 November 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2024. Switzerland Yes Syria Taiwan (phase out completed) Last commercial nuclear power plant was shut down at the end of its 40 year operational licence on 17 May 2025. A referendum to restart the last plant was unsuccessful. Thailand Tunisia Turkey Ukraine В Україні хочуть побудувати нову АЕС – названо містоУкраїна збудує 5 нових енергоблоків АЕС разом з американською компанією. Проєкт обійдеться у $30 млрд United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Yes, in California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont. Uruguay Yes Uzbekistan Venezuela Vietnam
Africa
Algeria
Egypt
In November 2015 and March 2017 Egypt signed preliminary agreements with Russian nuclear company Rosatom for a first VVER-1200 unit at El Dabaa to start in 2024. Discussions continue for final approval.
Ghana
Ghana has research reactors, but no power plants.
Kenya
Kenya aims to build a 1,000 MWe nuclear power plant by 2030.
Libya
Morocco
Nigeria
South Africa
South Africa is the only country in Africa with a commercial nuclear power plant and it currently has an expansion policy.
Tunisia
Tunisia has no operating power plants and has historically focused its nuclear program on the peaceful applications of nuclear technology. The country has nevertheless considered nuclear power as a possible component of its future energy mix, including the use of small modular reactors (SMRs) and nuclear energy for seawater desalination. In September 2025, Tunisia adopted a framework program for 2025-2029 to guide the safe and responsible use of nuclear technologies, while also working to establish a legal framework for their peaceful use.
Asia
Bangladesh
Bangladesh considered building a nuclear power plant for the first time in 1961. Since then, several feasibility studies have been carried out, affirming the feasibility of the project. In 1963 the Rooppur site was selected. More recently, in 2001 Bangladesh adopted a national Nuclear Power Action Plan. On 24 June 2007, Bangladesh's government announced it will build a nuclear power plant to meet electricity shortages. The first nuclear power plant with a generation capacity between 700 and 1,000 MW will be installed by 2015 at Rooppur in Pabna district.
China
As of March 2014, China has 20 operating reactors, and 28 reactors under construction. Additional reactors are planned, providing 58 GWe of capacity by 2020.
Gulf states Six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman) have announced that the Council is commissioning a study on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. In February 2007 they agreed with the IAEA to cooperate on a feasibility study for a regional nuclear power and desalination program.
The United Arab Emirates adopted a national policy on nuclear energy in July 2008 and a national nuclear energy law on 4 October 2009. According to the law and the policy document, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation was established. Memorandums of understanding on cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy are signed with France, the United States and the United Kingdom. In December 2009, the UAE decided to build a nuclear power plant with four APR1400 reactors. The first reactor to be developed by the Korea Electric Power came online in 2017. The plant is located at Barakah, from Ruwais.
On 29 March 2008, Bahrain signed a memorandum of understanding on nuclear energy with the United States.
In 2010 the Kuwait National Nuclear Energy Committee and the Russian company Rosatom signed a memorandum of understanding on the use of nuclear energy.
India
India has 20 reactors operating and 6 reactors under construction.
India has encountered effective local anti-nuclear opposition, growing national wariness about foreign nuclear reactors, and a nuclear liability controversy that threatens to prevent new reactor imports. There have been mass protests against the French-backed 9900 MW Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project in Maharashtra and the 2000 MW Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu. The state government of West Bengal state has also refused permission to a proposed 6000 MW facility near the town of Haripur that intended to host six Russian reactors.
Indonesia
In the mid-1990s, Indonesia conducted a feasibility study into constructing 12 nuclear power plants. The plan was postponed due to criticism from environmentalists and the Asian regional economic crisis in 1997. In 2006, Indonesian Government announced a plan to build its first major nuclear power plant on Muria peninsula, Jepara district, Central Java by 2015. However, this decision is not final yet. This plan is heavily criticized by environmental organisations.
In June 2007 was announced that in Gorontalo will be set up 70 MW floating nuclear power plant of Russian origin.
Iran
In the mid-1970s, Iran started construction of two PWR units at [Bushehr], but the project was suspended in 1979. In 1994, Russia agreed to complete unit 1 of Bushehr nuclear power plant and it was expected to be completed late in 2007. Also second reactor is planned at Bushehr. It also announced that a new nuclear power plant is to be built at Darkhovin in Khūzestān Province, where two plants were about to be constructed in the 1970s. Currently, Iran has reported that a power plant at Bushehr is operational.
Iran plans to build at least 19 more reactors with cumulative capacity of 20,000 MW by 2025 out of which at least six reactors are expected to be operational by 2020
Israel
Israel has no nuclear power plants. However, in January 2007, Israeli Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said his country should consider producing nuclear power for civilian purposes. As a result of the nuclear emergencies at Japan's Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, on 17 March 2011, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that Israel would not develop nuclear power.Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu: Japan situation has "caused me to reconsider" nuclear power Piers Morgan on CNN, published 2011-03-17, accessed 17 March 2011Israeli PM cancels plan to build nuclear plant xinhuanet.com, published 2011-03-18, accessed 17 March 2011Netanyahu: We'll reconsider nuclear power plans Ynetnews, published 2011-03-18, accessed 17 March 2011
Japan
Nuclear energy was a national strategic priority in Japan, but there has been concern about the ability of Japan's nuclear plants to withstand seismic activity. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant was completely shut down for 21 months following an earthquake in 2007.
Following an earthquake triggered tsunami, and the failure of cooling systems at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant on 11 March 2011, a nuclear emergency was declared. This was the first time a nuclear emergency had been declared in Japan, and 140,000 residents within 20 km of the plant were evacuated. The total amount of radioactive material released is unclear, as the crisis is ongoing.
On 6 May 2011, Prime Minister Naoto Kan ordered the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant be shut down as an earthquake of magnitude 8.0 or higher is likely to hit the area within the next 30 years.Story at BBC News, 6 May 2011. retrieved 8 May 2011Story at Digital Journal. retrieved 7 May 2011Story at Bloomberg, 7 May 2011. retrieved 8 May 2011 Kan wanted to avoid a possible repeat of the Fukushima disaster. On 9 May 2011, Chubu Electric decided to comply with the government request. Kan later called for a new energy policy with less reliance on nuclear power.