UNITED NATION (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations (UN) on Monday pledged to restore 'public faith' in nuclear power after March's Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, which is projected to slow the growth in the use of nuclear energy.
The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Yukiya Amano said rapid and visible improvements in nuclear safety will be required to restore public confidence in nuclear power and "not just good intentions."
Speaking to the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna in a regular update on worldwide nuclear issues that devoted significant attention to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station disaster, Amano stressed that the UN would play a central role in restoring such confidence.
A tsunami on March 11 knocked out water cooling systems at the station, contaminating air, water, plants and animals with radioactive plumes dozens of kilometers (miles) from the site, and threatening a total meltdown of the fuel rods in the worst civilian nuclear crisis since the deadly Chernobyl power plant explosion in the then-Soviet Union 25 years ago.
In the aftermath of Fukushima Daiichi, Amano underlined that the most important thing is to ensure transparency, build confidence, and meet the high expectations of the public. "But it is actions, not words that count," he stated.
The agency has already prepared a draft action plan with input from its Member States, and Amano hopes the draft action plan will be approved by the Board and endorsed by the General Conference next week. "With this plan, we will move from the planning phase to the implementation phase," he said.
Amano also pledged full IAEA support to Japan as it tackles the challenging work of decontamination and called for full transparency from Tokyo. In the wake of the accident, the IAEA now expects nuclear reactors worldwide to increase by about 90 by 2030 at the low end of its projection, or by around 350 at the high end, compared to the current total of 432 reactors.
The projected slowdown in global growth reflects an accelerated phase-out of nuclear power in Germany, some immediate shutdowns and a Government review of the planned expansion in Japan, and temporary delays in expansion in several other countries. Meanwhile, China and India will remain the main centers of expansion with their nuclear power capacities by 2030 expected to be as projected before the accident, after a temporary period of slower growth.
"The factors that contributed to increasing interest in nuclear power before the Fukushima Daiichi accident have not changed: increasing global demand for energy, as well as concerns about climate change, dwindling reserves of oil and gas and uncertainty of supply of fossil fuels," Amano said.
In addition, Amano reiterated previous concerns about possible Iranian activities related to the development of a nuclear payload for a missile, and the reported construction of a new uranium enrichment facility and light water reactor in North Korea.
The IAEA General-Director noted that Iran is still not providing the cooperation needed to conclude that its nuclear program is purely for peaceful activities. Iran has repeatedly stated that its program is for providing electric energy, but many other countries contend that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons and the Security Council has imposed several rounds of sanctions for Iran refusing to cooperate.
Furthermore, Amano noted that Iran has installed centrifuges in Fordow with the stated objective of producing uranium enriched up to 20 percent in further contravention of Security Council and Board of Governors resolutions. In 2003, it was discovered that Iran had concealed its nuclear activities for 18 years in breach of its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), causing international concern.
Amano said knowledge about the current status of North Korea's nuclear program is limited but said it remains a matter of 'serious concern' as reports indicate the existence of the construction of a new uranium enrichment facility and a light water reactor.
Turning to Syria, Amano said Damascus had indicated its readiness to fully cooperate with the IAEA to resolve issues related to the Dair Alzour site after the Board adopted a resolution in June finding it in non-compliance with its obligations under its safeguards agreement.
The IAEA has concluded that it is very likely that the Dair Alzour building, which Israel destroyed in 2007, was a nuclear reactor that should have been declared to the agency.