The UK’s Sellafield Ltd (a subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) and Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) have extended their agreement to cooperate in the field of nuclear decommissioning by up to 10 years.
Sellafield Ltd and TEPCO first agreed to work together in 2014 following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami which resulted in a triple core meltdown at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi NPP. The agreement enables the exchange of operational and technical knowledge to support decommissioning progress at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi site and the UK’s Sellafield site. Information sharing includes site operation and management, environmental monitoring, radiation protection, project management, design engineering, stakeholder communications and engagement, and procurement strategies.
Akira Ono, Chief Decommissioning Officer at Fukushima Daiichi NPP, signed the extension during a visit to Sellafield. The agreement enables sharing of operational and technical knowledge to support decommissioning progress at both sites.
“Very few places in the world have decommissioning challenges akin to those at Sellafield,” said Sellafield Ltd CEO Euan Hutton. “By working together with TEPCO, we can unlock new technology and techniques. Over the years we have had reciprocal visits and workshops, and we’ve welcomed secondees from TEPCO to the Sellafield site.”
He added: “It’s been great to welcome Ono-san to Sellafield. I was able to return the hospitality I was shown when I visited the Fukushima Daiichi site 18 months ago. It’s inspiring to hear the progress being made over there. We have many similar challenges. This visit reflects the strength and importance of global collaboration in our industry.”
Akira Ono noted: “We are extremely pleased to have maintained a cooperative relationship with Sellafield in the field of decommissioning for approximately 11 years since signing a cooperation agreement in 2014. The cooperation to date has been a major force in advancing our decommissioning work. By incorporating international experience and technology, we have achieved results that contribute to the creation of a more reliable and safe decommissioning process. Furthermore, by sharing Japan’s efforts and achievements, we have built a relationship of mutual learning.”
He added: “The extension of this agreement is a new departure point for further deepening and developing this relationship of mutual benefit. Through continued cooperation between TEPCO and Sellafield, we shall further promote international initiatives and steadily move forward with the decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.”
