The President and CEO of Cameco believes having the company represented in Dubai for COP 28 was an undeniable success. Tim Gitzel says the idea of nuclear power as a zero emissions energy source has grown with 24 countries committing to tripling their nuclear power capabilities. He states that there has been a shift in the last 18 months and more countries are considering nuclear power or expanding their existing nuclear base, which is great for the company and great for employment in Saskatchewan, because Cameco needs more people.

He says, “We have never been invited to COP. We have always been at the kids’ table out in the street and this year, nuclear was a focus. That has changed completely. I have never been to a COP meeting before and I think I was on seven or eight panels speaking about nuclear and Cameco and Westinghouse and the future, so a real change in favour of nuclear.”

Cameco owns 49 per cent share in Westinghouse which makes large, medium and small nuclear reactors. Gitzel points out that the Saskatchewan-based company can do everything from mining uranium to processing and converting it and now has added building reactor technology through Westinghouse to its roster.

Cameco’s President and CEO believes the United Arab Emirates is probably the biggest recent success in the nuclear world, building four new reactors with three up and running and a fourth on the way and he says if the U.A.E isn’t a Cameco customer already, they will be.