Nuclear demand to rise despite Fukushima -IAEA chief

Demand for nuclear power will continue to grow in the world despite Japan’s Fukushima crisis, according to the head of the UN’s atomic watchdog.

Yukiya Amano spoke after meeting Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan who wants his country to wean itself off nuclear power.

Amano acknowledged that, post-Fukushima, demands for nuclear energy may not soar but they would gradually increase, he said, adding that the IAEA must be committed to ensuring safety.

On Monday, and suitably protected, he made his first visit to the stricken site of the nuclear plant.

It is more than four months since it was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami that triggered meltdowns and radiation leaks.

Amano said work at the site was proceeding smoothly and prospects were good for bringing the situation under control. Japan has warned that a final clean-up of the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl will take many years.

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