It has, writes Claire Maden, reflected the changing energy picture over the decades - bearing witness to the highs of ambitious new-build programmes and technological advances; the lows of nuclear accidents and economic downturns; the challenges brought by a global pandemic; and ever-changing geopolitics. And along the way it has witnessed the transformation of its host organisation from the Uranium Institute to World Nuclear Association.
But let's go back to the drought-hit British summer of 1976 and that first Symposium. The Uranium Institute had been established only the year before, as an industrial association with an initial membership of some 16 mining companies.
Books of Symposium proceedings were published for many years
The Institute's first Secretary General, Terence Price, in a Speech on the Occasion of the Institute's 25th Anniversary, remembered it like this: "We held the first Symposium in mid 1976, launching it in the short space of three months, all the time anxiously wondering whether anyone would come. In the event there was a respectable attendance, and we began to consider what might be built on this foundation.
"If we wished to be the main forum for the world's nuclear fuel industries and there was little point in aiming for less - we faced fierce competition from older and larger organisations. At the start we did not have much to offer, apart from a Symposium which gave a chance to meet some of the leaders of the nuclear industry informally.
"But we did have the advantage of being based in London, with its collection of treasures that not many other cities can match."
1979
The first Symposium was held at the Institution of Electrical Engineers (now the Institution of Engineering and Technology) in London, with some 280 attendees from 22 countries.
Although the Institute had broadened its membership to include electric utilities - the consumers of uranium - a few months after its incorporation, it's perhaps not too surprising that the programme of that first one-day Symposium focused very firmly on uranium, with five papers on uranium supply, three on uranium demand, and a panel discussion.
1983
The outcome of that first Symposium was to guide the development of the fledgling Institute, with the organisation's first chairman, John Kostuik, promising in his closing remarks that the Institute would follow it up with "a period of consolidation and study, aimed at helping to resolve some of the problems which have been referred to".
Kostuik committed the Institute to collecting and disseminating "basic statistical information concerned with the uranium market", and to build up a "thorough understanding of the likely energy strategies of the countries of the world, in order to anticipate the demands which will fall on the industry 10 or 15 years from now": initiatives which led to the publication in 1979 of the Institute's first report on supply and demand. Production of this flagship publication has continued every two years ever since, frequently featuring as part of the Symposium programme, including this year.
Those first Symposiums had taken place at a time when expectations for nuclear energy growth were bright, following the oil shocks of the 1970s. The future balance between supply and demand of uranium was a question that was of primary importance, with a rising uranium price driven by perceptions - whether real or not - of coming shortages of the fuel needed by many hundreds of future nuclear reactors.
Looking back at photographs from the early gatherings, it's striking that very few women appear, apart from in the role of accompanying male delegates - perhaps reflecting a lack of gender balance typical in public, professional and academic life in the 1970s. The third Symposium in 1978 saw the first female speaker on the programme: Marie-Madeleine Pottier, of France's Centre for Research on the Law on International Markets and Investment, who presented a paper entitled "Mechanisms of the uranium market".
By the time the fourth Symposium took place in 1979, the event had grown from a one-day event to a two-day programme featuring 25 speakers with well over 300 delegates, and its reputation as a key international forum for uranium producers and consumers was growing. But things were about to change.
Months before the 1979 Symposium, a cooling malfunction had caused part of the core of unit 2 at the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania in the USA to melt, leading to the release of radioactive gas to the environment.
A small group of protestors carrying yellow cakes (representing milled uranium product which is widely known as yellowcake) turned up at the venue of the closing banquet which that year was taking place at the Middle Temple, one of London's four ancient Inns of Court.
Ceremonial trumpeters at the Guildhall in 1987
The protest was peaceful - but the disturbance it created led to a refusal to allow the Symposium to use the same venue the following year, prompting a change of location for the banquet to the Guildhall. This grand and ancient building is a venue for royal and state events: should Her Majesty the Queen require the use of the Guildhall this would of course take precedence. However, the Royal Family always took a holiday in Scotland at the beginning of September - meaning the Queen would not need to use it then. The Symposium organisers decided to take advantage of this, and so - thanks in part to the Middle Temple protesters, and the Queen's holiday plans - the Symposium's now familiar September timing was fixed.
Seven years later the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power saw enthusiasm for new nuclear capacity decline, along with the uranium price. Nonetheless, the Symposium continued to provide a forum for producers and consumers to meet.
The 11th Annual Symposium, which took place several months after the accident, considered the causes of the disaster. Lord Marshall of Goring - at the time, Chairman of the UK's Central Electricity Generating Board - shared reflections on the accident in an address at the Symposium Banquet. A few years later, in 1989, Lord Marshall would become the first Chairman of the World Association of Nuclear Operators.
Symposium networking, 1986
Changing focus
A fall in electricity demand growth and the advent of anti-nuclear sentiment in the shadow of Three-Mile Island and, then, Chernobyl, may have thrown cold water on the heady optimism for a rapid increase in nuclear capacity of the very earliest Symposiums. But the annual gathering continued to offer a forum for the industry. By the mid-1980s the Symposium focus had widened far beyond its uranium mining origins to include sessions devoted to the back-end, as well as the front, of the nuclear fuel cycle and issues such as non-proliferation and public attitudes towards nuclear energy.
By the start of the 1990s, 416 nuclear power reactors were in operation worldwide, with a combined electricity generation capacity of 318,253 megawatts.
In February 1993, the Russian Federation and the USA signed a 20-year, government-to-government agreement for the conversion of 500 metric tonnes of Russian highly enriched uranium from nuclear warheads to low-enriched uranium to fuel US nuclear reactors. Known as the HEU Agreement - and also as Megatons to Megawatts - this commercially financed government-industry partnership saw bomb-grade uranium from dismantled Russian nuclear warheads recycled into low enriched uranium used to produce fuel for American nuclear power plants. This was to have a long-lasting impact on the uranium supply and demand picture for the next two decades and became a regular topic addressed by Symposium speakers through the 1990s.
The launch of the Fuel Report has been a regular feature at the Symposium
As the decade progressed, awareness of the global need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the context of sustainable development continued to grow.
At the 1997 Symposium - three months ahead of the adoption of the UNFCCC Kyoto Protocol which set binding obligations on participating nations to reduce greenhouse gases - keynote speaker Hans Blix was bullish in his conviction of the inevitability of a nuclear revival to help inhibit greenhouse gas emissions . Two years later, at the 24th Annual Symposium, World Energy Council Secretary General Gerald Doucet saw the nuclear energy industry as poised to expand its role in world electricity generation, but Blix's successor as IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei was less bullish, cautioning that environmental considerations alone would not trigger a resurgence in nuclear investment.
As the 1990s drew to a close, one issue that was front-of-mind for nuclear operators was the issue of the so-called Millennium Bug: a potential problem in software unable to correctly identify and respond to the change to the new millennium, misreading "00" for the year 1900 instead of the year 2000. Also known as the Y2K issue, this presented a very real potential problem on a global scale, and nuclear plants were not immune. Nuclear plant operators globally had been working to address this from the mid-1990s onwards, with the IAEA and WANO at the heart of a collaborative global effort - outlined by WANO Director Vince Madden at the 1999 Symposium - which ultimately ensured the world's nuclear power plants quietly and safely continued their reliable operations as the world entered the new millennium without missing a beat.
1995
A new century begins
The 25th Annual Symposium, held in September 2000, saw the Uranium Institute mark its quarter century. The new century was also to be a time of change for the Institute, with its relaunch in a new, expanded form - and with a new name.
John Ritch - the fifth Secretary General of the Uranium Institute - became the first Director General of World Nuclear Association, and Agneta Rising - at the time, Vice President for Environment at Vattenfall AB - its first Chair.
Speaking at the 2001 Symposium, Rising said the Association would aim to become a trade organisation of truly global membership, energetically supporting all aspects of the nuclear industry worldwide.
"It is not just timely - it is urgent - that we do this, because the world has entered an era when nuclear energy is truly an idea whose time has come. The future of nuclear power and the future of this planet's environment are now very much intertwined," she said.
Rising, a co-founder and former president of Women In Nuclear, would later succeed Ritch and become the Association's second Director General.
And a new word was increasingly heard in the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre: renaissance. Indeed, the 2002 Symposium devoted an entire session to an anticipated resurgence in orders for new nuclear capacity driven by international pressure to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and cut fossil fuel use.
The 2003 Symposium saw the inauguration of World Nuclear University, with speakers including Susan Eisenhower, James Lovelock, Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei, and the signature by the leaders of the four university's Founding Supporters - IAEA, NEA, WANO, and World Nuclear Association - of a Declaration of Commitment to the institution. High-level representatives of academic and research institutions from 24 countries signed a Declaration of Commitment to the university as a worldwide network of distinguished educational and research institutions engaged in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
James Lovelock addresses the 32nd Symposium, watched by Mohamed ElBaradei, World Nuclear Association Chairman Ralf Güldner and Director General John Ritch
In 2009, the Symposium venue moved to the historic Central Hall Westminster, a venue steeped in history: it had been the venue for the first-ever meeting of the United Nations in 1946.
The format of the Symposium was changing, moving further from an academic conference-type event with Symposium proceedings meticulously collated and bound into a hard-copy document. Panel discussions and hot-seat interviews, in addition to more traditional presentations, made dynamic sessions, and with delegates increasingly wishing to access information digitally, the Symposium proceedings were published in hard copy for the last time in 2011.
That was also the year of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, when a 15-metre tsunami disabled power supply and cooling leading to core melting in three of the plant's six reactors. The ensuing suspension of operations at Japanese nuclear plants pending approval under new regulatory requirements had knock-on effects for the uranium supply and demand picture for many years.
Not surprisingly, Symposium has provided a forum for discussion of the accident itself and its consequences for the nuclear industry both in Japan and globally. The causes, response and lessons learned from the accident featured in the 2012 Symposium, when Tepco's Sakae Muto presented a paper on "Facts and Lessons of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident and Safety Improvements"; UK-based journalist Mark Lynas spoke on "Radiation and Risk: Fears, Phobias & Fukushima"; and Cameco's Grant Isaac looked at "The Economics of Uranium in a Post-Fukushima World".
2015
Pandemics and progress
The start of the 2020s brought with it the Covid pandemic which meant the symposium could not take place in its usual format. That year, the rapidly evolving situation with lockdown restrictions in the UK and elsewhere saw the in-person symposium cancelled. Instead, World Nuclear Association hosted Strategic eForum 2020 - a series of virtual high-level panel discussions focused on strengthening the nuclear industry, leading communication on key matters and bringing nuclear to the forefront in economic recovery plans.
In 2021, the Association offered a fully virtual Symposium. In addition to high-level speakers - and the launch of the 20th edition of the Fuel Report - the experience allowed participants to visit exhibition booths, interact with exhibitors, read company profiles, watch videos, complete polls and download files.
2023
The Symposium returned to a physical format in 2022. The experience of the global pandemic, followed by Russia's military action in Ukraine from February of that year, had underlined the vital importance of energy security and energy independence, and a sea change both in policy and public opinion towards nuclear energy - and the opportunities created for the global nuclear industry - were at the forefront of the programme, with IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi telling the Symposium - via video link - that the world was at a defining moment for nuclear driven by climate change and the energy crisis.
The positive sentiment about future nuclear capacity has continued in the years since. The 2023 Symposium saw the launch of the Net Zero Nuclear initiative, seeking to ensure the recognition of nuclear's potential contribution ahead of the COP28 climate summit. Last year saw a record 800-plus delegates attend, including a growing number from outside the nuclear industry. With the theme of Turning Momentum into Energy, the 2024 Symposium saw several high profile nuclear energy announcements including ENEC's confirmation that Barakah unit 4 had entered commercial operation, completing the programme to build the UAE's first nuclear power plant.
Sama Bilbao y León opens the 2024 Symposium
And now we come to Symposium 50: Energizing the Future Now, bringing together nuclear leaders, policymakers, innovators, finance leaders and decision-makers from the tech and energy user communities to shape the future of the global nuclear industry over three days in London. For the first time, the Symposium programme has included a day of strategic summits - an Energy Users Summit, bringing together the nuclear sector and energy-intensive industries, and a Finance Summit, with senior players from the nuclear and finance communities joining together to explore viable investment frameworks and pathways to achieve policy goals by 2050 - followed by two days of strategic plenary sessions including high-level keynote addresses and panel discussions. Meanwhile, innovation and delivery in the nuclear industry are being showcased at the Symposium's largest-ever exhibition, as delegates build valuable and lasting connections through networking in iconic venues.
Here's to the 50th Symposium. And here's to the next 50 and the stories about the world's energy future that they will tell.
Medals and awards
In 1985, the Uranium Institute instigated the award of a Gold Medal to honour individuals who had made a significant personal contribution to nuclear energy. In its first decade, the World Nuclear Association continued the tradition of recognising outstanding contributions with its own awards.
Uranium Institute Gold Medallists:
1985: Jean Benat
1987: Erik Svenke
1989: Eugene Wilkinson
1991: Hiroshi Murata
1997: Hans Blix
1999: NucNet
Uranium Institute Chairman presents the Gold Medal to Hans Blix in 1997
World Nuclear Association Awardees:
2001: Corbin McNeill
2002: The World Association of Nuclear Operators
2003: The ‘Atoms for Peace’ vision of President Dwight Eisenhower (award presented to The Eisenhower Institute, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the new World Nuclear University as the custodians of this vision)
2004: Loyola Palacio
2005: Women In Nuclear
2006: Ian Hore-Lacy
2007: Mohamed ElBaradei; James Lovelock
2008: Theodore Rockwell, Alan Walter, Jacques Bouchard
2009: Jong-Shin Kim, Chang-Sun Kang, Myung Seung Yang, Chung-Won Cho
Notable speakers
These are just some of the notable speakers who have featured in Symposiums over the years:
1976: Sir John Hill, Chair of UK Atomic Energy Authority
1977: Dr Akbar Etemad, President, Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran
1978: Marie-Madeleine Pottier
1982: Chauncey Starr, Manhattan Project physicist
1983: Etienne Knoops, Belgian Secretary of State for Energy
1996: Keith Goulet, Saskatchewan Minister for Northern Affairs
1997: Viktor Mikhailov, Russian Minister for Atomic Energy
1999: Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General, IAEA; Evgeny Adamov, Russian Minister of Atomic Energy; Fatih Birol, Head of Economics Division, International Energy Agency
2001: Zack Pate, Chairman, WANO
2006: Erik Cline, Saskatchewan Minister of Industry and Resources
2013: Michael Fallon, UK Minister of State for Energy
2018: Geraldine Thomas, Professor of Molecular Pathology, Imperial College London; Ali Akbar Salehi, President, Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran
2022: Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General, IAEA
A special mention should go to Hans Blix, who, as Director General of the IAEA, spoke at the Symposium in 1983, 1989, 1997 - and again in 2001 in his role as Honorary Chairman of the newly launched World Nuclear Association.
Iconic venues
The Symposium has always been held in London, but has had several homes over the years:
Institute of Electrical Engineers
Royal Lancaster London
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre
Central Hall Westminster
Park Plaza London Westminster Bridge
Natural History Museum
Venues used for networking events have included:
Lloyds of London
Guild Hall
Natural History Museum
Science Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Dorchester
Grosvenor House Hotel
British Museum
Lancaster House
National Gallery
Royal Opera House
The Savoy
Freemasons Hall
Inner Temple
Banqueting House
Lincoln’s Inn
Leadership
Uranium Institute (1975-2001):
Terence Price
Jan Murray
David Kay
Gerald Clark
John Ritch
World Nuclear Association (2001- )
John Ritch
Agneta Rising
Sama Bilbao y León
Uranium Institute secretariat staff at the 1999 Symposium
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