VIENNA, Austria ― The International Atomic Energy Agency, the world’s nuclear watchdog under the United Nations wing, projected the world’s nuclear energy generating capacity to see steady and continued growth, recovering from the dent made by the Fukushima nuclear accident on March 11 in 2011.

Nuclear energy, which enjoyed a renaissance as a low-carbon energy source, has recently fallen into a slump, challenged by safety concerns after the Fukushima accident, the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

“The agency has made a lot of activities covering not only the regulatory aspect but also technological aspect to improve safety of nuclear power for the past two years,” IAEA deputy director general Alexander Bychkov said in a meeting with the Korean press.

The nuclear energy industry has been working to allay uncertainties as some countries have decided to close their nuclear power plants or delay the opening of new ones.

Two years after the Fukushima accident, IAEA said the industry was entering the post-accident phase and the latest IAEA projection for the world’s nuclear power capacity was positive.

“IAEA expects that the growth of nuclear power will continue, led by rising demand in Asia and Eastern Europe,” Bychkov said.

His comments were based on the IAEA’s annual update on the long-term high and low projection of the world’s nuclear power generating capacity. The latest update was released at the 56th General Conference held in Vienna last September.

“A low scenario is that nuclear power capacity will grow 26 percent over the next 16 years (by 2030), while the high scenario is a duplication of nuclear power capacity (in the same period),” said Bychkov, who also leads IAEA’s department of nuclear energy.

But the deputy director admitted that the industry was unlikely to meet the high-end projections due to a variety of factors ranging from the rise of alternative energy sources to the global economic downturn.

To promote the peaceful use of nuclear power as an energy source, he stressed the importance of safety and quality for nuclear power plants.

In an effort to prevent a nuclear accident, the agency has started work on a comprehensive report on the Fukushima accident, which is set to be finalized in 2014, while investing in improving technology, safety guidelines and educational programs for its 159 member countries.

By Seo Jee-yeon, Korea Herald correspondent
(jyseo@heraldcorp.com)