Japanese companies join forces for international market
Six Japanese companies have announced an office in preparation for a new company to support Japanese involvement in new nuclear projects around the world. Meanwhile, Japan is helping Vietnam with its nuclear infrastructure development.
The powerful consortium comprises utilities Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), Chubu Electric Power Co and Kansai Electric Power Co, and plant manufacturers Toshiba Corporation, Hitachi and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). The new office is being established in preparation for the launch of a new company, tentatively named International Nuclear Energy Development of Japan, which the consortium says will be engaged in activities to establish proposals for nuclear power plants in so-called emerging countries.
The move was preceded in June 2010 by the formation of a planning committee including the six companies plus Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (Meti), which has been considering a public-private proposal aiming to secure nuclear power plant orders from Vietnam. The decision to set up the office now, in advance of the launch of the corporate entity itself, was made "to ensure the swift execution of the promotion activities," the consortium says.
The new office will have three divisions: a 'Vietnam' division, a 'Business (BWR/PWR)' division and a 'General Affairs' division. The corporate entity, which is due to be officially launched in the autumn of 2010, will work to integrate the needs of emerging nuclear countries such as Vietnam with comprehensive proposals from the new organisation. Its remit will include power plant construction, operation and maintenance, and human resource development. The new entity is to receive legislative and financing support from the Japanese government.
Japan-Vietnam nonproliferation accord
Vietnam has taken another step towards nuclear power with the signature of a memorandum on cooperation for infrastructure development for safeguards and nuclear security by the Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (Varans) and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). According to the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) publication Atoms in Japan, the memorandum will see JAEA use its knowledge and expertise in infrastructure development in the areas of safeguards and nuclear security to help Vietnam in its plans to introduce nuclear power by 2020.
The memorandum preceded a 2-day seminar on nuclear safeguards organised by Varans and the JAEA in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi at the end of June.
Researched and written
by World Nuclear News
