On 17 September 2008, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) published a new report:

Market Competition in the Nuclear Industry

This is a timely and useful overview of the world nuclear industry, with a focus on
the OECD. This report provides (for only US$60!) an excellent summary of the markets and competition issues associated with all aspects of the nuclear industry, including power plants, front and back end of the nuclear fuel cycle, power plant services, and decommissioning.

NEA’s Synopsis:

Nuclear power plants require a wide variety of specialised equipment, materials and services for their construction, operation and fuelling. There has been much consolidation and retrenchment in the nuclear industry since the 1980s, with the emergence of some large global nuclear companies. Electricity market liberalisation in many OECD countries has meanwhile placed nuclear plant operators under increased competitive pressure.

These structural changes in both the producer and consumer sides of the nuclear industry have had implications for the level of competition in the nuclear engineering and fuel cycle markets. With renewed expansion of nuclear power now anticipated, this study examines competition in the major nuclear industry sectors at present, and how this may change with a significant upturn in demand.

Link to this document on NEA publications page: http://www.nea.fr/html/pub/ret.cgi?id=new#6246

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