The UK has a long established track record in nuclear decommissioning and has been sharing this experience in its support of Japan since the accident at Fukushima Dai-ichi in March 2011 – the UK and Japan are growing their already strong ties following the signing of UK-Japan Civil Nuclear Co-operation Agreement.
Support to Japan from the UK nuclear industry
The UK’s civil nuclear industry is the oldest in the world. As a result the UK has vast experience in decommissioning, and is keen to share it with Japanese colleagues.
There is enthusiasm in Japan to learn from the UK in the following areas:
• decommissioning and remediation
• waste management
• site management and operations
• programme management
• stakeholder engagement
UK companies who feel they may be able to support the on-going efforts at Fukushima Dai-ichi should contact UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) using the details below.
UK-Japan decommissioning workshops
The latest in a series of workshops workshop was held in Tokyo from 30th June to 3rd July 2014. It was held in conjunction with UKTI, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the International Research Institute for Nuclear Decommissioning (IRID), a Japanese consortium.
Representatives from UK companies, and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) met with Japanese colleagues for a series of discussion sessions covering all aspects of decommissioning.
The workshop covered:
• UK waste management strategy
• UK decommissioning site management
• Update on progress at Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station
• Safety measures taken at other Japanese nuclear sites following the accident
In addition, UK delegates were able to visit the Fukushima Dai-ichi site where they were impressed with the progress made in the last 3 years. A visit was also made to the Hamaoka nuclear power plant by to see the countermeasures being undertaken to increase safety at the plant.
Click here to read more about the topics covered at the workshop and about the areas of UK expertise of interest to the Japanese.
Other Useful Links
Click here to get directly in contact with Dr. Keith Franklin our nuclear expert at UK Trade & Investment Japan
Click here to listen to Keith speak more about the opportunities for British nuclear expertise in Japan.
Expect another update soon but click here to watch a June update on progress at Fukushima Daiichi and what it means for UK businesses.
