For the second year in a row, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has raised its annual forecasts for the potential growth of nuclear power in the coming decades.

The move reflects a shift in global debates on energy and the environment amid growing concerns about energy security and climate change, the IAEA said on its website.

In its latest forecast for the development of global nuclear capacity by 2050, the agency, part of the United Nations (UN), foresees 10 percent more electricity generated from nuclear fission than in its report last year.

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In the most favorable scenario, the IAEA foresees a doubling of the installed capacity, which will reach 873 gigawatts (GW) in 2050.

At the moment, the global nuclear capacity equals 390 gigawatts (GW), experts report, BTA reported.

They point out that to achieve this, "many challenges need to be overcome", citing regulatory harmonization as an example.

In addition, it is necessary to achieve "progress in the management of high-level radioactive waste", which is obtained as a result of the processing of spent nuclear fuel and is not subject to recycling.

According to the new projections, and assuming electricity production grows by 85 percent over the next three decades, nuclear power could contribute about 14 percent to global electricity production by 2050. 

Nuclear power now provides about 10 percent of the world's electricity.

Coal accounts for 37 percent, which makes it the "dominant source of energy."

The share of solar and wind energy has grown rapidly in recent years, reaching 9 percent last year, the experts also point out.

nuclear energetics