Full coverage: Xi Visits Czech Republic, Attends Nuclear Security Summit

Leaders of the nuclear energy industry across the world have gathered in Washington, calling for the development of nuclear energy. They say demand is high, and nuclear energy has many advantages compared to other sources. 

The world is always hungry for more electricity. Nuclear power can fuel the need -but it comes with obvious risks.

“Just as an accident anywhere is an accident everywhere, and we have this time and again, so too would a security incident anywhere be a security incident everywhere,” said Daniel Poneman, president and CEO, Centrus Energy Corp.

Industry leaders in the nuclear energy field are in Washington, DC. Thomas Haeberle is the new Chief Executive Officer of URENCO, a company that enriches uranium for nuclear fuel.

With plants operating in the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands, safety and security is the mantra, especially involving the transportation and storage of nuclear material.

“Being satisfied is the first step to complacency no doubt - and this is not a good field for complacency,” Haeberle said.

A staggering 1.3 billion people worldwide still do not have access to reliable electricity. Coal is being phased out as a source of energy because it causes too much pollution.

Oil is in demand for a host of industries. Alternative energies—wind, solar, and hydro— face geographical challenges.

“Nuclear can be sold throughout the world in a way this is sustainable and is not dependent on location, so you will use nuclear more and more,” said Phumzile Tshelane, CEO, South African Nuclear Energy Corp..

Except, globally, that is not really the case. The Fukushima Daichi plant is still an open wound five years after a tsunami swamped the facility and led to explosion of radioactive gases and water. 

Experts decry the lack of qualified engineers and nuclear scientists. But the head of the China National Nuclear Corporation says China has two dozen nuclear projects underway, and some 40 universities training people to fill the void.

“We have drawn up a very big plan to develop nuclear power, so that, of course, involves a training plan for new talent,” said Sun Qin, chairman of the Board, China National Nuclear Corp.

China plans to double its nuclear capacity in the next five years. Overall, there are some 60 new nuclear facilities going up in 15 countries, chiefly in Asia and Russia. But other countries, such as the U.S. are upgrading older nuclear power plants, adding a lot more capacity.