Uzbekistan has signed contracts worth more than USD1 billion for the supply of uranium to Japan, Kun.uz reported yesterday, without stating its source. The contracts were signed as part of the December visit of the president of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, to Japan.

The trial removal of fuel debris from the damaged reactors at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant will begin at unit 2 in 2021, according to the latest revision to the mid and long-term roadmap towards decommissioning the plant. Meanwhile, the removal of fuel from the storage pools at units 1 and 2 has been delayed by up to five years.

Japan and the USA both need new nuclear generating capability to replace ageing and inefficient generating capacity and could work together to achieve this, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told a bilateral meeting yesterday. Japan would benefit greatly by having a fleet of new, inherently safe reactors, he said.

Following the March 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the Japanese government launched decontamination work in the surrounding area. With most of this work now completed, the European Geosciences Union has today published an assessment of the effectiveness of the strategies used, with a focus on radiocaesium.

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority has today approved the decommissioning plan for units 1 and 2 of the Ohi nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture. Kansai Electric Power Company announced in December 2017 that it would not seek permission to restart the two 1175 MWe pressurised water reactors.

An agreement to cooperate on the development of fast neutron reactors has been signed between Framatome and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Mitsubishi FBR Systems and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The partners have previously collaborated on the Astrid project.

Tohoku Electric Power Company has received initial regulatory approval to resume operation of unit 2 at its Onagawa plant in Japan's Miyagi Prefecture. The plant was the closest nuclear power plant to the epicentre of the earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011, but sustained far less damage than expected.

France's Orano Group recently signed a cooperation agreement with Japanese utility Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) to strengthen their cooperation on the decommissioning of nuclear facilities at the Fukushima Daiichi site.

The UK's National Nuclear Laboratory announced today that Rawwater Engineering Company, whose specialist alloy seals for the oil and gas sector are being adapted to support Sellafield decommissioning challenges, has signed a contract that will take the company into the Japanese nuclear sector.

A Japanese court today acquitted three former Tokyo Electric Power Company executives charged with failing to prevent the March 2011 accident at the company's Fukushima Daiichi plant. The judge ruled they could not have foreseen the massive earthquake and tsunami that led to the meltdown of three of the plant's reactors.

Japanese ministries and other organisations are working together - with the support of the International Atomic Energy Agency - to deliver the ultimate decontamination and decommissioning of the former Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Progress is being made to remove all used fuel and debris from units 1-3, while the challenge of removing large volumes of treated water stored at the site is being addressed, speakers told a side event at the 63rd IAEA General Conference.