Assessing nuclear risk in the aftermath of Fukushima

Financial losses stemming from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear reactor accident will likely match or exceed losses at banks during the financial crisis. The ripple effect is already being felt by power generators worldwide. Stephen Maloney identifies the issues that CROs at companies with nuclear fleets might consider

The meltdown at the Japanese Fukushima Daiichi nuclear generator following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami is likely to result in financial losses comparable to, if not greater than, the losses experienced by some merchant banks during the recent financial crisis.

The Fukushima incident clearly demonstrates that a reactor accident can be the single largest financial risk facing the chief risk officer (CRO) of a nuclear generating company, far outpacing market, credit, and operational risks