Japan restart and China SMR to drive 2026 nuclear developments

India and Vietnam are also progressing on long-term nuclear goals

The global nuclear energy sector in 2026 will be driven by the restart of the world’s largest nuclear plant in Japan and the commercial debut of China’s first land-based small modular reactor (SMR), according to a Wood Mackenzie report.

Nearly 27 gigawatts of retired nuclear capacity could be restarted globally in the coming years, with two major restarts scheduled for 2026, including Japan’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant.

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, with 8 GW capacity, is the world's largest nuclear plant and has been offline since 2012. Regulatory approval was granted in November 2025 for the restart of its two units, representing 2.7 gigawatts of capacity.

China is expected to launch the ACP100 (Linglong One) in the first half of 2026, positioning it as the first land-based commercial SMR to operate globally. The country is also continuing to expand aggressively, with multiple large reactors under construction, including Lianjiang and Zhaoyuan.

Meanwhile, India is progressing with large-scale developments such as Jaitapur and Mahi Banswara, though progress remains gradual due to long construction timelines.

Early-stage nuclear planning activity is also progressing in Southeast Asia, with Vietnam assessing options for conventional nuclear reactors and SMRs, although no construction timelines or investment decisions have been finalised.