A Global Playbook for Nuclear Energy Development in Embarking Countries

The report outlines six critical dimensions for successful nuclear energy deployment in embarking countries: project execution, regulatory system development, bankability and finance, nonproliferation and security, spent fuel management, and workforce development. It argues for a shift from bespoke 'project' models to standardized 'product' models to reduce costs and risks. The authors propose the creation of new international institutions, such as an International Technical Support Organization (ITSO) and an International Bank for Nuclear Infrastructure (IBNI), to provide the technical and financial support necessary for global scaling.

• To achieve the scale required for global decarbonization, nuclear energy deployment needs to increase to 'many tens of gigawatts (GW) per year from now until 2050', with much of this growth occurring in embarking countries.
• The report advocates for a transition from a bespoke 'project' model to a standardized 'product' model, utilizing modularity, factory-based manufacturing, and shipyard assembly to reduce costs and construction timelines.
• The authors propose the establishment of an International Technical Support Organization (ITSO) to assist embarking countries with license applications, inspections, and regulatory training to overcome limited domestic human and financial resources.
• To improve project bankability, the report suggests three guiding principles: minimizing and containing capital costs, minimizing the cost of capital, and supporting adequate revenue models.
• The report proposes the creation of an International Bank for Nuclear Infrastructure (IBNI) to provide capital and financing options, as most current multilateral development banks (MDBs) prohibit financing new nuclear construction.
• For nonproliferation and security, the report recommends that embarking countries initially adopt a once-through fuel cycle using light water reactor (LWR) technology and low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel, while procuring fuel from the international market.
• Regarding spent nuclear fuel, the report argues that a once-through LEU fuel cycle is preferable because reprocessing and recycling generate multiple waste streams and incur significant additional costs.
• Workforce development is identified as a potential 'choke point' for new projects; the report suggests a combination of recruiting foreign talent and developing domestic pipelines, including the use of research reactors for applied practice.
• The report suggests the use of 'buyer consortia' to generate large orderbooks for specific reactor designs, which would catalyze supply chain investment and enable learning-by-doing cost reductions.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). A Global Playbook for Nuclear Energy Development in Embarking Countries. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/03143152/global-playbook-nuclear-energy-development.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. A Global Playbook for Nuclear Energy Development in Embarking Countries. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/03143152/global-playbook-nuclear-energy-development.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=A Global Playbook for Nuclear Energy Development in Embarking Countries |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/03143152/global-playbook-nuclear-energy-development.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforcendglobal, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{A Global Playbook for Nuclear Energy Development in Embarking Countries}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/03143152/global-playbook-nuclear-energy-development.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }