Asian nation recently reversed policy on post-Fukushima reactor phaseout US energy secretary Jennifer Granholm and Japan’s industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura during talks in Washington. Courtesy Twitter/@SecGranholm. The US and Japan have agreed to strengthen cooperation on developing and constructing next-generation advanced reactors, including small modular reactors, “within each country and third countries”.

Japan’s industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura and US energy secretary Jennifer Granholm met in Washington to discuss the situation surrounding global energy security, strengthening clean energy cooperation, and the importance of clean energy transitions, including renewable energies and nuclear energy.

They said in a joint statement that in response to the energy impacts of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan and the US Department of Energy discussed the need for diverse and secure supplies of energy, noting support for investment in the US to improve energy security.

The two governments already announced plans in October to work together on helping Ghana introduce SMR technology. They want to make the African nation a regional SMR hub and deploy a Voygr SMR nuclear power plant developed by US-based NuScale.

Speaking to reporters after Monday’s talks, Nishimura said the US side reacted positively to the recent change in Japan's nuclear energy policy to boost decarbonisation.

Japan’s U-Turn On Nuclear

Last month the Japanese government adopted a new energy policy promoting greater use of nuclear power as it seeks to ensure a stable power supply amid global fuel shortages and to reduce carbon emissions.

The new policy – a major reversal of Tokyo’s phaseout plan following the 2011 Fukushima crisis – was announced on 22 December, a day after Japan’s nuclear regulator approved new regulations that will allow commercial power reactors to operate longer than the previous limit of 60 years.

“We will explore opportunities for collaboration to make full use of existing reactors and create stronger supply chains,” Nishimura said.

The two countries are expected to reaffirm the cooperation when prime minister Fumio Kishida and president Joe Biden meet in Washington on Friday.

The statement said the two governments agreed to maintain “a consistent regulatory environment” for all energy sources in response to the impact of the war in Ukraine.

Before Fukushima-Daiichi, Japan’s fleet of 54 nuclear plants generated about 30% of the country’s electricity. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency that figure was 7.2% in 2021.

Before the accident at Fukushima-Daiichi (pictured), Japan’s fleet of 54 nuclear plants generated about 30% of the country’s electricity.