Nuclear energy can help cut power costs in emerging markets

07 12 2025 | 07:23 ESI Africa

Under the right conditions, a new report finds that nuclear could supply up to 20% of electricity generation in these markets by 2050

Next-generation nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors (SMRs), could play a far greater role in powering fast-growing emerging economies than previously assumed, a new report by The Rockefeller Foundation argues.

The Role of Nuclear Energy in Powering Universal Energy Abundance for Emerging Economies assesses nuclear deployment across eight countries – Brazil, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Philippines, Rwanda and South Africa – which together account for more than two billion people and some of the world’s fastest-growing energy demand.

Under the right policy and regulatory conditions, the report finds that nuclear power could supply up to 20% of electricity generation in these markets by 2050, while reducing overall system costs by as much as 31% compared with renewables-only pathways.

“The Rockefeller Foundation is committed to building a future of universal energy abundance where everyone has access to resilient, reliable, and affordable electricity,” said Rajiv J Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation.

“This report demonstrates how nuclear energy can play a critical role in meeting that need with clean, continuous power.”

Key findings of the nuclear report

Demonstrating that renewables and nuclear are complementary technologies rather than rivals and that developing both lessens the need to overbuild solar and storage to reach a zero-carbon system.
Identifying key financial, institutional and social barriers, as well as enabling factors such as governance capacity, policy design and coordination mechanisms.
Adding new, country-specific evidence to help policymakers and partners assess where advanced nuclear solutions could fit within broader strategies for expanding clean, reliable power in EMDEs to meet countries’ industrialisation and economic growth objectives and to help people flourish.
Providing an integrated understanding of the technical feasibility and practical readiness for nuclear deployment across EMDEs.
Reinforcing the catalytic role that philanthropy could play – despite its historical absence from this sector – in enabling early adoption, including supporting regulatory readiness, strengthening public engagement, facilitating access to international expertise and helping governments de-risk investment decisions.

Complementing renewables

Modelling how nuclear power could supply up to 20% of total power by 2050 in several markets while reducing overall system costs by as much as 31% when paired with ambitious renewable energy expansion.

The modelling, conducted by Bayesian Energy, indicates that nuclear complements rather than competes with renewables, reducing the need for large-scale overbuilds of solar capacity, storage and transmission infrastructure.

“Our modelling shows that nuclear can work with renewables and storage, not against them,” said Aman Majid, co-founder of Bayesian Energy.

“That means billions of dollars in avoided costs for countries where every dollar counts.”

Nuclear pathway into the future

The report also highlights persistent barriers to nuclear deployment, including financing, government capacity and public acceptance, while calling on philanthropy to play a catalytic role in regulatory readiness, public engagement and risk mitigation.

The findings come shortly after COP30 in Brazil, where nuclear energy featured prominently in global climate discussions and renewed commitments were made to expand global nuclear capacity by 2050.

At the event, the World Nuclear Association announced the expansion of a global coalition committed to tripling nuclear capacity by 2050, while the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) underscored how nuclear science, technology and energy systems are now firmly embedded in the official climate agenda.