Nuclear Decommissioning Market Size, Share, Trends, and Industry Analysis - Global Forecast to 2036 | USD 30.17 Billion Market Driven by Reactor Closures, Robotics, and Waste Solutions
Dublin, Oct. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- "Nuclear Decommissioning Market Size, Share, and Industry Analysis - Global Forecast to 2036" has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
The global nuclear decommissioning market was valued at USD 18.50 billion in 2025 and is estimated to reach USD 19.24 billion in 2026. Revenue is projected to increase to USD 30.17 billion by 2036, representing a CAGR of 4.6% during the 2026-2036 forecast period. Market growth is supported by an expanding inventory of permanently closed reactors, publicly funded legacy programs, immediate dismantling strategies, and rising investment in waste treatment, robotics, remote handling, and site remediation.
The report assesses commercial and research reactors, fuel cycle facilities, and government-owned legacy nuclear sites. Its market coverage includes planning and engineering, decontamination, dismantling and demolition, radioactive waste treatment, conditioning, packaging, transport, interim storage, spent fuel management, site remediation, and license termination. Deep geological repository construction and operation, together with high-level waste treatment plants at government sites, are excluded from the market valuation.
Shutdown Pipeline Supports Long-Term Demand
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, seven reactors in Russia, China, and Belgium were permanently shut down in 2025. The U.S., the U.K., and Germany account for half of all reactor shutdowns recorded to date. Germany closed Isar 2, Emsland, and Neckarwestheim 2 in April 2023, while Belgium shut Doel 1, Doel 2, and Tihange 1 in 2025. EDF is also decommissioning nine reactors across four technologies in France.
Large government-backed programs provide stable, multi-decade demand. The U.K. National Audit Office forecasts that Sellafield decommissioning will cost GBP 136 billion on an undiscounted basis at 2023-24 prices. Expenditure reached GBP 2.7 billion in 2023-24, while final building demolition is expected by 2125. In Japan, approximately 880 tons of fuel debris remain within the three Fukushima Daiichi reactors affected by the 2011 accident, with total clean-up costs estimated at about JPY 23 trillion.
Immediate dismantling is gaining preference because it retains experienced personnel, aligns with regulatory expectations, and reduces long-term surveillance costs. Engie's decision to pursue immediate dismantling at Tihange 1 reflects this trend. However, reactor lifetime extensions and restarts may delay new decommissioning projects. Holtec's Palisades plant returned to service in August 2025, becoming the first U.S. reactor restored from decommissioning. Constellation Energy plans to restart the former Three Mile Island Unit 1 by 2027 as the Crane Clean Energy Center, supported by a 20-year Microsoft power agreement. Belgium has also extended the operating lives of Doel 4 and Tihange 3.
Cost uncertainty, schedule overruns, skilled labor constraints, and the limited availability of final repositories remain significant market challenges. Four of Sellafield's oldest storage facilities are running up to 13 years behind schedule, while TEPCO does not anticipate full-scale debris removal at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3 before 2037.
Technology and Investment Opportunities
Robotics, remote handling, characterization systems, advanced cutting technologies, decontamination solutions, waste minimization, and metal recycling represent major growth opportunities. EDF subsidiary Cyclife has treated 145,000 tonnes of waste over 30 years, demonstrating the increasing commercial importance of waste processing and recycling capacity.
Liability transfer models are also reshaping the competitive landscape. Specialist companies are acquiring closed plants, assuming licenses, and managing decommissioning programs under dedicated funding structures. Holtec manages Oyster Creek, Pilgrim, and Indian Point, while the March 2025 agreement between Engie and the Belgian government transfers waste and spent fuel responsibility in exchange for a EUR 15 billion lump-sum payment.
Segment Outlook
Regional Nuclear Decommissioning Market
Europe is expected to remain the largest regional market in 2026. Growth is supported by Sellafield and other U.K. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority sites, Germany's fleet-wide dismantling program, Belgium's recent closures, and EDF's activities in France. Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Lithuania, and Central and Eastern European countries also maintain active programs.
Asia-Pacific is projected to record the highest CAGR through 2036, led by Fukushima Daiichi, Fukushima Daini, and other Japanese facilities, alongside programs in South Korea and Taiwan. India and China are also evaluated as part of the regional outlook.
North America represents a significant market, supported by U.S. commercial reactor dismantling, federal legacy projects, and Canadian research and legacy sites. Planned U.S. restarts may moderate the near-term addition of projects, but ongoing work at closed plants and government facilities will sustain demand. Activity across the Rest of the World remains comparatively limited.
Competitive Landscape
The nuclear decommissioning market is moderately consolidated. Suppliers compete on safety performance, regulatory compliance, high-hazard project capability, waste treatment and recycling capacity, cost certainty, and their ability to assume licenses and liabilities. Strategic priorities include robotics investment, expanded processing infrastructure, acquisitions of closed plants and service businesses, joint ventures, workforce development, and long-term government contracts.
Companies profiled include EnergySolutions, Holtec International, Orano, Electricite de France S.A. through Cyclife, Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, Framatome, Amentum Holdings, Inc., BWX Technologies, Inc., Bechtel Corporation, Fluor Corporation, AtkinsRealis Group Inc., Babcock International Group PLC through Cavendish Nuclear, Studsvik AB, GNS Gesellschaft fur Nuklear-Service mbH, NUKEM Technologies Engineering Services GmbH, Nuvia, Veolia Nuclear Solutions, and Hitachi, Ltd.
The report provides market forecasts through 2036, segment and regional analysis, shutdown pipeline assessments, funding and liability transfer reviews, technology trends, competitive benchmarking, company profiles, and evaluation of acquisitions, contracts, partnerships, and investment opportunities. It supports strategic planning for decommissioning contractors, technology providers, utilities, government agencies, investors, and waste management companies seeking to identify high-growth markets and strengthen bid, partnership, acquisition, and capital allocation decisions.
Key Topics Covered
1. Introduction
1.1. Market Definition
1.2. Market Ecosystem
1.3. Currency and Limitations
1.3.1. Currency
1.3.2. Limitations
1.4. Key Stakeholders
2. Research Methodology
2.1. Research Approach
2.2. Data Collection & Validation Process
2.2.1. Secondary Research
2.2.2. Primary Research & Validation
2.2.2.1. Primary Interviews with Industry Experts
2.2.2.2. Country-/Region-Level Analysis
2.3. Market Estimation
2.3.1. Bottom-Up Approach
2.3.2. Top-Down Approach
2.3.3. Forecast Methodology
2.4. Data Triangulation
2.5. Assumptions
3. Executive Summary
4. Market Overview
4.1. Introduction
4.2. Market Dynamics
4.2.1. Drivers
4.2.1.1. Growing Number of Permanently Shut Down Reactors
4.2.1.2. Sustained Government Funding for Legacy Site Clean-Up
4.2.1.3. Decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi and Japanese Reactors
4.2.1.4. Increasing Preference for Immediate Dismantling
4.2.2. Restraints
4.2.2.1. Reactor Restarts and Lifetime Extensions
4.2.2.2. High Cost and Schedule Risk of Complex Projects
4.2.3. Opportunities
4.2.3.1. Robotics and Remote Handling for High-Hazard Environments
4.2.3.2. Waste Minimization, Treatment, and Metal Recycling
4.2.3.3. Acquisition of Shut-Down Plants by Specialist Decommissioning Companies
4.2.4. Challenges
4.2.4.1. Lack of Final Disposal Routes for Radioactive Waste
4.2.4.2. Cost Estimation Uncertainty
4.2.4.3. Availability of Skilled Workforce
4.3. Key Trends
4.3.1. Shift Toward Immediate Dismantling
4.3.2. New Structures for Transferring Decommissioning and Waste Liabilities
4.3.3. Investment in the Decommissioning Workforce
4.4. Global Reactor Shutdown and Decommissioning Pipeline Analysis
4.4.1. Permanently Shut Down Reactors by Country
4.4.2. Expected Shutdowns, 2026-2036
4.4.3. Impact of Lifetime Extensions and Restarts
4.5. Technology Landscape
4.5.1. Robotics and Remote Handling
4.5.2. Radiological Characterization and Sensing
4.5.3. Cutting and Segmentation Technologies
4.5.4. Decontamination Technologies
4.5.5. Waste Treatment, Conditioning, and Volume Reduction
4.5.6. Metal Melting and Recycling
4.5.7. Digital Twins and Decommissioning Planning Tools
4.6. Nuclear Decommissioning Ecosystem
4.6.1. Plant Owners and Government Site Owners
4.6.2. Decommissioning Contractors and Engineering Firms
4.6.3. Waste Treatment and Recycling Providers
4.6.4. Technology and Robotics Providers
4.6.5. Regulators and Decommissioning Funds
4.7. Value Chain Analysis
4.8. Regulatory and Policy Landscape
4.8.1. IAEA Safety Standards for Decommissioning
4.8.2. U.S. NRC Decommissioning Regulations and Trust Funds
4.8.3. U.K. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Framework
4.8.4. Germany Nuclear Phase-Out and Decommissioning Financing
4.8.5. Japan Decommissioning Framework
4.8.6. Radioactive Waste Disposal Policies
4.9. Decommissioning Cost and Funding Analysis
4.9.1. Cost Benchmarks by Reactor Type and Strategy
4.9.2. Decommissioning Funds and Liability Structures
4.10. Porter's Five Forces Analysis
4.11. Investment & M&A Landscape
5. Nuclear Decommissioning Market, by Facility Type
5.1. Introduction
5.2. Power Reactors
5.3. Research Reactors
5.4. Fuel Cycle Facilities
5.4.1. Reprocessing Facilities
5.4.2. Enrichment Facilities
5.4.3. Fuel Fabrication Facilities
5.5. Legacy & Government Nuclear Sites
6. Nuclear Decommissioning Market, by Reactor Type
6.1. Introduction
6.2. Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR)
6.3. Boiling Water Reactors (BWR)
6.4. Gas-Cooled Reactors
6.5. Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR)
6.6. Other Reactor Types
7. Nuclear Decommissioning Market, by Strategy
7.1. Introduction
7.2. Immediate Dismantling
7.3. Deferred Dismantling
7.4. Entombment
8. Nuclear Decommissioning Market, by Activity
8.1. Introduction
8.2. Planning & Engineering
8.3. Decontamination
8.4. Dismantling & Demolition
8.5. Waste Management
8.5.1. Waste Treatment & Conditioning
8.5.2. Packaging & Transport
8.5.3. Interim Storage
8.6. Spent Fuel Management
8.7. Site Remediation & License Termination
9. Nuclear Decommissioning Market, by Capacity
9.1. Introduction
9.2. Up to 800 MW
9.3. 801 MW to 1,000 MW
9.4. Above 1,000 MW
10. Nuclear Decommissioning Market, by End User
10.1. Introduction
10.2. Utilities & Plant Owners
10.3. Government Agencies & Legacy Site Owners
10.4. Research Institutions
11. Nuclear Decommissioning Market, by Geography
11.1. Introduction
11.2. Europe
11.2.1. U.K.
11.2.2. Germany
11.2.3. France
11.2.4. Belgium
11.2.5. Spain
11.2.6. Sweden
11.2.7. Switzerland
11.2.8. Italy
11.2.9. Lithuania
11.2.10. Rest of Europe
11.3. North America
11.3.1. U.S.
11.3.2. Canada
11.4. Asia-Pacific
11.4.1. Japan
11.4.2. South Korea
11.4.3. Taiwan
11.4.4. India
11.4.5. China
11.4.6. Rest of Asia-Pacific
11.5. Rest of the World
12. Competitive Landscape
12.1. Overview
12.2. Key Growth Strategies
12.3. Competitive Benchmarking
12.4. Competitive Dashboard
12.4.1. Industry Leaders
12.4.2. Market Differentiators
12.4.3. Vanguards
12.4.4. Emerging Companies
12.5. Market Share/Rank Analysis, by Key Player (2025)
13. Company Profiles
Business Overview, Financial Overview, Product Portfolio, Strategic Developments, and SWOT Analysis
13.1. EnergySolutions
13.2. Holtec International
13.3. Orano
13.4. Electricite de France S.A. (Cyclife)
13.5. Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
13.6. Framatome
13.7. Amentum Holdings, Inc.
13.8. BWX Technologies, Inc.
13.9. Bechtel Corporation
13.10. Fluor Corporation
13.11. AtkinsRealis Group Inc.
13.12. Babcock International Group PLC (Cavendish Nuclear)
13.13. Studsvik AB
13.14. GNS Gesellschaft fur Nuklear-Service mbH
13.15. NUKEM Technologies Engineering Services GmbH
13.16. Nuvia
13.17. Veolia Nuclear Solutions
13.18. Hitachi, Ltd.
14. Appendix
14.1. Related Reports
14.2. Customization Options
List of Tables [273]
List of Figures [52]
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