JUNO: A Network for Japan - UK Nuclear Opportunities

The UK and Japan have a long established co-operation in the field of civil nuclear energy, originating in the 1960s. The UK supplied Japan’s first commercial nuclear power reactor, based on the Magnox design, which operated on the Tokai site, from 1966-1998, generating in excess of 27.7 billion KWh. Nuclear fuel from this reactor, and later Light Water Reactors in Japan, was reprocessed under contract to British Nuclear Fuels, and its successors, from mid 1970s onwards. Following the Great East Japan Earthquake, on 11 March 2011, leading to partial melt down of three Boiling Water Reactors at the Fukushima Daiici site (Units 1-3), the UK and Japan have established a strong collaboration in the field of nuclear decommissioning and waste management [1-3] The Governments of UK and Japan recognise the importance of stronger collaboration and co-operation in the field of civil nuclear energy, to address the challenges of legacy decommissioning and waste management, and exploitation of nuclear fission technology as a safe, affordable, low carbon energy supply. Accordingly, a Japan – UK framework for Civil Nuclear Co-operation was established in 2012 [1], leading to an annual UK – Japan Nuclear dialogue to strengthen bi-lateral co-operation in civil nuclear energy [4-6]. The JUNO Network for Japan – UK Nuclear Opportunities, sponsored by the UK Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council, and led by The University of Sheffield, will build on the foundations of this bi-lateral co-operation, to facilitate, create, nurture and co-ordinate collaboration in civil nuclear energy between academic researchers in the UK and Japan, see the Network website: http://www.juno.org.uk/. The initial Network membership comprises over 80 individuals from more than 20 organisations.