Engaging for New Build

Building a world with clean energy abundance is necessarily a collaborative process. Engaging with stakeholders is at the core of successful nuclear installation projects. Proactive approaches to stakeholder engagement foster trust and promote accountability. They are vital for equitable community development and the long term sustainability of nuclear power, especially for new build projects.

As of March 2025, more than 60 nuclear power reactors were under construction in 15 countries, including 3 countries building their first nuclear power plant. Other newcomers, such as Ghana and Poland, have not yet broken ground on their first power reactors but are steadily advancing to prepare for the start of construction. The IAEA’s Milestones approach provides guidance on how to initiate and sustain a nuclear power programme, detailing 19 infrastructure issues, including stakeholder engagement, that are essential for success.

“Transparent engagement with all stakeholders, from host community members to government agencies to site workers, is a best practice that should be pursued, beginning as early in the process as possible,” said Liliya Dulinets, Head of the IAEA’s Nuclear Infrastructure Development Section. “New build projects impact a diverse range of stakeholder groups, and it’s important to hear their perspectives and address their concerns.”

Stakeholder engagement is a multifaceted undertaking that is most effective when guided by consideration of the nuanced opinions of everyone involved. Energy policies are influenced by the confidence of stakeholder groups, and building that confidence requires dynamic, ongoing support that facilitates mutual understanding and offers a clear outline of programme plans.

Long reliant on coal, Poland is looking to nuclear power to lower its emissions, meet its climate change objectives and strengthen energy security. The country, which signed an agreement with Westinghouse in 2022 to construct three AP1000 reactors, hosted an IAEA Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review mission last year to assess its readiness to introduce nuclear power in line with the Agency’s Milestones Approach.  

Ghana, meanwhile, is also progressing towards the construction of its first nuclear power plant following the signing of a cooperation and framework agreement between Nuclear Power Ghana and Regnum Technology Group for the deployment of a small modular reactor (SMR) in 2024.

As part of its approach, Ghana is pursuing a comprehensive stakeholder engagement strategy to enhance public understanding and involvement, gain support and build trust in its programme. This involves engaging civil society organizations to address concerns and ensure transparency, conducting workshops for the media to enhance their knowledge and facilitate informed public discourse, and engaging policymakers and government agencies to ensure alignment and support. It also includes educating students in nuclear science and technology to build a diverse workforce.  Increasing public awareness of nuclear power is another important component.

“Effective stakeholder engagement shapes public opinion and promotes trust,” said Bellona-Gerard Vittor-Quao, Manager of Public Affairs for Nuclear Power Ghana. “From the outset, we have actively included all stakeholders in the engagement process, including educating communities on what the project entails, listening to concerns, and working together to chart a path for sustainable nuclear power in Ghana.”  

China is building nearly half of the power reactors currently under construction worldwide, with 28 domestic new builds in progress as of March 2025. The country is aiming to build 150 new reactors by the middle of the next decade, targeting a nuclear power share of at least 15 per cent of national power production by 2050.

Zhu Xiaobin, Director of the Qinshan nuclear power plant, said in a 2023 interview in the Guangming Daily: “We have built a nuclear power town around the plant, with beautiful surroundings. The residents here initially had many misunderstandings about nuclear power, but now our economy and ecological environment are improving. Many elderly people in the town have served as volunteer nuclear science popularizers, educating visitors about nuclear safety.”

The Russian Federation’s first floating nuclear power plant entered commercial operation in 2020. Its two SMR units provide both electricity and district heating to a remote community in the far east of Russia.   

“Throughout the entire life cycle of the floating nuclear power plant, Rosenergoatom has maintained active engagement with the local population,” said Andrey Alberti, Director of Communications at Rosenergoatom. In 2017, before any ground construction began, public hearings were held in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, at the plant’s base location in the town of Pevek. “Representatives of Government agencies, environmental organizations, local media and local citizens had the opportunity to raise questions and share their views on the project,” Alberti said. “All stakeholders were provided in advance with environmental impact assessments, prepared in compliance with the requirements of the State environmental review process.”

Sizewell C, a two-unit nuclear power plant to be deployed in Suffolk, United Kingdom (UK), will eventually fulfil seven per cent of the UK’s energy needs. It includes major investments in environmental protection, public forums, and a fund to support local communities.    

“Sizewell C is much more than a new nuclear power station — it is an opportunity to deliver a project collaboratively with our stakeholders, joined up, and to provide something great for Britain,” said Peter Bryant, Director of Environmental, Social and Governance and Radiation Strategy at EDF. The station, which has an expected lifespan of 100 years, will provide opportunities to people in the region around it and across the UK. “Key to the success of our stakeholder engagement,” Bryant added, “has been identifying our wide range of stakeholders, actively ‘listening’ and understanding their needs, what they want to know, how they want to be engaged, what we can achieve with them, and not making assumptions or doing things to them. Simply put, it has all been about building relationships.”