A three-day international ministerial conference on nuclear power opened Tuesday in Incheon, bringing together about 800 participants from 60 countries, along with representatives of industry, nongovernmental organizations and other institutions. The meeting, organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency, is being held in South Korea for the first time and is focused on advanced nuclear technologies, regulation, industrial growth and international cooperation.
The conference runs from Oct. 27 to 29 in the western port city. Its agenda includes national statements from ministers and senior officials, panels on new nuclear construction, regulatory cooperation, advanced reactors and small modular reactors, workforce and supply chains, and nuclear applications in maritime, offshore and remote settings.
Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon said the meeting comes as investment in nuclear energy grows alongside rising electricity demand from artificial intelligence and other advanced industries. He described nuclear power as a source of low-carbon electricity that can operate continuously and said global nuclear capacity could more than triple from last year’s level by 2060.
Bae also said South Korea aims to become a global manufacturing hub for nuclear technology. He pledged to maintain safety in the operation and decommissioning of existing facilities and in the development of new technologies. He said Seoul would work with the IAEA and its member states on an international framework for emerging uses, including maritime applications, based on nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi addressed the conference by video after canceling his planned trip to South Korea shortly before the opening. He urged governments to preserve existing nuclear capacity and pointed to the agency’s review services and cooperation platforms. Grossi said the IAEA’s 2022 low-case projection showed essentially unchanged nuclear capacity in 2050, while its current low-case projection exceeds 640 gigawatts and its optimistic scenario surpasses 1,000 gigawatts.
The IAEA says 31 countries currently operate 413 reactors with combined capacity of about 377 gigawatts, while more than 60 other countries are considering or beginning nuclear programs. South Korea is hosting a session on technological innovation and international cooperation in the changing nuclear sector. Its government also held a pre-conference exchange with U.S.