DOE officials were among the more than 170 government and industry representatives who explored potential collaborations between the U.S. and Japan in a workshop held virtually last week.

It was the second U.S.-Japan workshop held online this year focusing on decommissioning work in Japan. The latest event was hosted by Japan’s Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry and supported by EM’s Office of Intergovernmental and Stakeholder Programs.

“The information shared by the presenters, for example, on the decommissioning timelines and Japan’s decommissioning implementation plan, should provide a basis for potential meaningful interactions,” DOE Chief Risk Officer James Owendoff said.

Participants discussed possible collaborations in Japan, including decommissioning commercial reactors not affected by the Fukushima Daiichi accident, regulatory aspects of decommissioning in both countries, and stakeholder engagement challenges. The workshop was designed to help participants understand decommissioning models in both countries.

Workshop speakers included officials from Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission as well as representatives from U.S. companies Amentum and EnergySolutions, and Japanese companies Toshiba and Kajima.