The Japan Atomic Energy Committee (JAEC) published its White Paper on Nuclear Energy 2018 on September 2, 2019. The White Paper covers the decommissioning and waste management of nuclear power plants. There are currently 24 reactors that are undergoing decommissioning in Japan. In addition, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has announced its plans to decommission 43 nuclear research facilities.

The White Paper discusses the current status of decommissioning and the lessons learned from other countries’ practices on decommissioning and waste management. The paper introduces decommissioning case studies from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and highlights the importance of designing efficient work plans, engagement with stakeholders and regulatory authorities, waste management and technology development, and building trust with the local community.

The White Paper also discusses the progress of the recovery efforts in Fukushima Prefecture after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident, nuclear energy’s importance for energy security and climate change, Japan’s role in promoting nuclear safety and security within the international community, and the need to build a nuclear platform through promoting innovation and developing a skilled labor force.

Since the establishment of JAEC in 1956, the White Paper on Nuclear Energy has been published annually until 2010, the year before the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. The publishing of the White Paper was resumed in 2017 in order to fulfill JAEC’s responsibility to inform the Japanese people about Japan’s nuclear energy usage.[1]

[1] http://www.aec.go.jp/jicst/NC/about/hakusho/hakusho2019/zentai.pdf