The 9th UK–Japan Nuclear Industry Forum Held in Tokyo

This year’s forum—the ninth of its kind—brought together about 100 participants from government agencies and nuclear-related industries in both countries, followed by a reception attended by roughly 150 guests.

In her opening remarks, British Ambassador Julia LONGBOTTOM CMG recalled that Japan’s first commercial nuclear reactor (Tokai Power Plant) was based on a British design, noting the long-standing and close ties between the two nations in the nuclear sector. She also referred to the UK’s long history of reprocessing Japanese spent fuel and expressed her expectation that both countries would continue to build mutually beneficial partnerships to address the shared challenges of decommissioning.

Following her remarks, David PEATTIE, Chief Executive Officer of the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), gave a presentation outlining the NDA’s activities and future strategies as it marks its 20th anniversary. Peattie highlighted significant progress, including the first successful retrieval of fuel debris and waste from storage facilities at Sellafield Ltd., an NDA subsidiary. He also noted that from next April, the Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGRs) operated by EDF Energy—starting with Hunterston B-2 (AGR, 644 MWe)—will be progressively transferred to the NDA, substantially expanding its decommissioning portfolio.

“Our work is not only about deconstructing the past, but also about building the future,” Peattie said. “Public trust that we can deal honestly with waste and the legacies of the past is essential to ensure social acceptance of nuclear power and to help realize the UK Government’s ambition to become a clean energy superpower.”

The opening session concluded with remarks from FUKETA Toyoshi, Senior Executive Technical Advisor at the Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation (NDF). He emphasized that decommissioning is intertwined with unresolved ethical challenges, knowledge management, and stakeholder engagement—making it a vital joint endeavor for Japan and the UK. Fuketa expressed his hope that cooperation between the two countries would further deepen in areas such as human resource development, knowledge management, and environmental, social and governance (ESG) integration, contributing to the global community.

The subsequent sessions focused on decommissioning and radioactive waste management, covering the latest policy developments in both countries, recent R&D updates by manufacturers and research institutes, and progress in decommissioning nuclear facilities. Presentations also introduced project management cases from the NDA and Japan’s Nuclear Recycle and Decommissioning Organization (NuRO). In addition, British companies showcased their technologies in panel exhibits, while case studies highlighting bilateral cooperation projects were presented during session breaks, fostering active exchanges of information and opinions.

In the closing session, Tom GREATREX, Chief Executive Officer of the UK Nuclear Industry Association (NIA), underlined that the remarkable recent progress of the UK nuclear industry has been built upon reliable decommissioning and waste management efforts, which form the foundation of public confidence.

“Decommissioning may not attract as much attention as new build,” Greatrex remarked, “but a significant proportion of the approximately 100,000 people working in the UK nuclear sector are engaged in decommissioning-related activities. These efforts drive technological innovation and generate broad ripple effects across related industries.”

Concluding the forum, MASUI Hideki, President and CEO of the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF), stated:

“The lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi accident must always remain at the core of Japan’s nuclear development, and these insights should be properly reflected in both existing and new reactors. I sincerely hope that Japan and the UK will continue to learn from, support, and grow with each other, further deepening our long-standing partnership.”

The forum reaffirmed the importance of bilateral cooperation between Japan and the UK in tackling common challenges—energy security, carbon neutrality, and decommissioning—and served as a meaningful platform for mutual learning and collaboration.