Annual investment in nuclear energy must triple to around $250 billion to meet projections for more than tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050, according to the inaugural World Nuclear Investment Guide, published by the World Nuclear Association (WNA).

The guide estimates the sector will require around $6 trillion in investment through 2050, covering the full nuclear value chain, from uranium mining and fuel production to reactor construction, decommissioning and waste storage, reported World Nuclear News.

The WNA said achieving this target would require significant private-sector participation alongside public funding.

According to the association's latest World Nuclear Outlook Report, global nuclear generating capacity could increase to 1,446 GWe by 2050, up from the current 403 GWe of operable reactors, if all existing, planned and proposed projects, along with government targets, are realised.

Developed with input from leaders across the nuclear and finance industries, the guide outlines six conditions needed to establish nuclear energy as a mainstream investment asset class: institutional support, business standardisation, priceable risk and reward, market remuneration frameworks, supply chain capacity, and maturity transformation mechanisms.

The first instalment of the guide, Roadmap to Mainstream Finance: The Path to Scale Nuclear Energy, argues that the financing challenge is not a lack of available capital but the absence of consistent investment frameworks and long-term policy certainty needed to attract institutional investors.

"The challenge is not a shortage of capital. The challenge is creating the confidence, capability and investment architecture that allow capital to flow to nuclear projects at scale. The World Nuclear Investment Guide gives financial institutions the tools, frameworks and expertise they need to assess nuclear projects with the same confidence they bring to other major infrastructure investments," said Sama Bilbao y León, Director General of the World Nuclear Association.

The roadmap notes that development-stage activities such as licensing, engineering, site preparation and early procurement often lack revenue streams, making them difficult to finance under conventional project finance models.

It also highlights funding gaps across the nuclear supply chain, where manufacturers require working capital and capacity expansion financing well before project orders are confirmed.

Industry leaders said standardised financial structures will be critical to scaling investment in the sector.

"The challenge for nuclear power is as much about capital as it is about technology. We often hear about the need for nuclear power to become more standardised if it is to become scalable and cost-effective, and financing is a core part of that transition," said Ananya Modi, Managing Director at Rothschild & Co.

Luba Kotzeva, CEO and founding partner of Etara, said producing a practical financing roadmap was essential because "the transition from strategic sovereign capital to mainstream finance will be one of the defining challenges for the nuclear sector".

Issam Taleb, Partner and Global Nuclear Industry Leader at EY, said: "The financial challenge facing nuclear is ultimately one of market maturity. By outlining the steps needed to create standardised, investable frameworks, this Roadmap provides a useful reference point for policymakers, developers and investors alike."

Roger Martella, Chief Corporate Officer at GE Vernova, added: "Nuclear is already sprinting toward the critical role it will play in the future, but for the industry to reach its full potential, strong financing solutions must evolve just as fast alongside technology. The innovative Roadmap provides the critical framework to guide the industry towards success globally."