IAEA Hosts Workshop For International Financial Institutions On Nuclear Financing

By Mary Albon, IAEA Office of Public Information and Communication

As more countries consider introducing or expanding nuclear power, the IAEA is increasing its support for the safe, secure and sustainable development of nuclear power programmes, including in the increasingly important area of financing. As part of these efforts, the Agency is strengthening its engagement with international financial institutions (IFIs). 

Building on this growing engagement, the IAEA held a landmark capacity-building workshop for IFIs at its Vienna headquarters at the end of last month. 

Providing a comprehensive overview of nuclear power, the three-day workshop brought together around 50 participants from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank Group (WBG), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the OPEC Fund for International Development, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The IAEA and the WBG formalized a partnership to collaborate on nuclear energy for development in June 2025. Following the approval of the ADB’s Energy Policy Review, the IAEA and ADB established a similar partnership. These landmark partnerships open the door for other multilateral development banks and private investors to consider nuclear power as a viable tool for energy security and sustainable prosperity. Since then, the IAEA has expanded its engagement with IFIs.

Laying the Groundwork for Future Cooperation

IFI representatives welcomed the workshop’s comprehensive coverage of nuclear power, which fostered deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges associated with nuclear power programmes.

“As more countries pursue nuclear power to help meet rising energy demand and advance decarbonization, cooperation with the IAEA is essential to ensure safe, secure and well-governed nuclear programmes,” said Deputy Director-General of the ADB’s Department for Transport and Energy Sectors Priyantha Wijayatunga. “ADB is deepening cooperation with the IAEA to strengthen our collective capacity to support responsible nuclear investment.”  He added that ADB’s internal steering committee and working group on nuclear power would immediately put to use what had been learned.

AIIB Senior Industry Specialist, Andrew Craig said that the workshop was “incredibly helpful in expanding our understanding of the growing demand for nuclear energy, the technological landscape, and the IAEA’s support for energy sector planning,” and that it highlighted areas where the bank needed to learn more. 

WBG Senior Industry Specialist, Anne Falchi, agreed: “The IAEA’s standards, guidance, and country support on safety, security, safeguards, regulatory capacity and lifecycle issues are the foundation of our nuclear engagement. This training has strengthened our technical baseline for our dialogue with countries on their readiness — starting with institutions, regulation and capacity before any technology choices are made.” 

“The capacity building came at the right time for us to understand where we can harness our strengths as we explore a partnership with the IAEA for the well-informed consideration of nuclear energy options in the long-term national energy plans for Member States,” said Lead Energy Industry Specialist at the AfDB Tione Mtalimanja. 

Senior Energy Specialist at the OPEC Fund, Sarin Abado commented “The workshop provided a valuable opportunity to deepen our understanding of nuclear energy and, importantly, to exchange perspectives with other development finance institutions. For the OPEC Fund, building this knowledge is essential as we consider the full range of energy solutions that can respond to the diverse needs of our partner countries.”

“This workshop has provided us not only with an excellent opportunity for knowledge building but also for an exchange of views among IFIs who are entering the area of nuclear energy investment.  I believe this exchange will continue and strengthen, also with the welcome support of the IAEA with whom EBRD has a longstanding partnership,” said Associate Director of the EBRD’s Nuclear Safety Department Olivia Oddi. 

Participants expressed strong interest in continued engagement with the IAEA, including through further capacity building, technical exchanges and other areas of cooperation. They also highlighted the value of continued dialogue and exploring practical mechanisms for future cooperation.