[en] Early afternoon on March 11th, 2011, a devastating earthquake hit Japan, causing a powerful tsunami which had catastrophic consequences in the Tohoku District. A nuclear accident followed with core meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi NPPs (Nuclear Power Plants) at an unprecedented scale and over a lengthy period of time. The findings so far suggest that the insufficient design for tsunamis of the reactor units was responsible for the accident that occurred in the Japanese Fukushima Daiichi NPP. Thus the accident does not fall into the category of residual risk; rather it was due to the fact that the basic design for external impact was insufficient in this case. This is why the design and the safety concept of NPPs around the world had to be reviewed with respect to possible improvement potential. The impact of the Tohoku natural disaster is present not only in Japan but world-wide. The context post-Fukushima creates new challenges, but nuclear perspectives remain solid despite shaken public acceptance and the fundamentals driving nuclear role in sustainable energy mix remain. These are: GROWING DEMAND: Need for new capacity is unchanged to meet growing energy demand (multiplied by two in overall consumption and an 80% increase in global electricity consumption by 2050); REDUCTION OF CO₂ EMISSIONS: Although 50% of world electricity today is generated from burning coal, combating climate change remains a priority and greenhouse gas emissions are to be cut by half by 2050; SECURITY OF SUPPLY: Need for an increased security of supply in a changing geopolitical environment; FOSSIL ENERGY: Fossil resources are dwindling, remain uncertain and are volatile in prices; COMPETITIVENESS: Nuclear remains one of the most competitive low-carbon energy sources and will remain an important option for many countries for a sustainable energy mix. To supply seven billion people (nine billion in 2030) with secure energy needs infrastructure development. This means huge investments, totaling 1.4% of global GDP per year by 2030, which will have to be made on time and on budget. Thus, nuclear power generation should continue to grow and be an important part of the world energy base-load portfolio for its energy security, strategic value, diversification of energy mix, economical and environmental contributions, with an enhanced safety framework. (author).