Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Technology
The 12th Annual Japan-UK Nuclear Dialogue
December 19, 2023
- On 5 December 2023, the twelves Annual Japan-UK Nuclear Dialogue was held in a hybrid format in London, co-chaired by Mr. Chris Heffer, Director General, Nuclear Power and Decommissioning, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the UK, Ms. Mitsuko Hayashi, Deputy Director General, Ambassador, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Science Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, both countries exchanged opinions on their activities on the following topics; “Nuclear Policy”, “Decommissioning and Environmental Remediation”, “Public Communication”, “Safety and Regulation”, “Research and Development”.
- On "Nuclear Policy," both countries explained their respective policies on nuclear energy and the latest domestic developments, and both welcomed the ongoing and growing collaboration between their respective supply chains across the nuclear lifecycle. They also pleased by the recently signed the Memorandum of Cooperation on HTGRs technologies between Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL). Both sides recognized the mutual benefits of harmonizing Japanese knowledge and UK experience.
- On "Decommissioning and Environmental Restoration," Japan expressed its appreciation for the UK’s understanding on the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) treated water discharge from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Both countries discussed the possibility of further strengthening joint R&D. Under "Public Communication," both sides agreed on the importance of proactive and transparent communication on all aspects of nuclear energy.
- On "Safety and Regulation," both countries confirmed the cooperation between the regulatory authorities of our two countries and shared updates on the regulations respectively. In the area of “Research and Development”, both sides provided an overview of the respective research and development activities and discussed the particular potential for further collaboration in remote robotics collaboration for decommissioning.
- Based on the discussion in the dialogue, further enhancement of nuclear cooperation between Japan and the UK is expected.
