Nuclear industry sees post-Fukushima recovery

In spite of persistent safety concerns the industry remains confident that it can return to growth

More than two years on from the Fukushima disaster in Japan, experts say the nuclear industry can still convince the world that modern plants are safe enough to play an important role in the global energy mix, as countries seek reliable, clean baseload power. Luis Echavarri, director-general of the OECD's Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), told WEC 2013 delegates that, while it would take many years to absorb all aspects of the disaster, the industry remained safe. He said the shutdown of all 50 of Japan's nuclear plants was mainly due to public perceptions of safety issues, rather than actual conditions on the ground. "Japan's reactors are shut for political reasons, not for safety reasons," he s