Overview of Japan Atomic Energy Agency’s Regional Transparency Efforts

In keeping with the longstanding national policy of peaceful use of nuclear energy, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and its predecessor organizations have studied and promoted concepts and tools to support transparency and regional collaboration activities. Since 1995, many transparency efforts have been in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its national laboratories. An early project with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) sought to clarify the means to improve worldwide acceptance of nuclear energy through study of the policy environment to identify suitable transparency applications. JAEA, with Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), demonstrated and matured remote monitoring of spent fuel and fresh fuel storage areas at the Experimental Fast Reactor ‘Joyo’ to promote transparency, confidence building, and safeguards efficiency. Several projects, again partnering with SNL, demonstrated and exercised internet-based transparency tools, inter alia, near-real time radiation measurement reporting, harmonizing data displays from different organizations, virtual facility tours, and secure, virtual private networks to transmit information between selected partners. JAEA has also sponsored workshops, in conjunction with these projects, to widen the discussion among stakeholder organizations and build acceptance for transparency tools and activities. In particular, participation in the workshops and related meetings by the Korean Institute for Nonproliferation and Control (KINAC), and Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), U.S. national laboratories, and representatives from other States in the Asia Pacific region has been beneficial for setting the stage for future regional endeavors. These activities have highlighted the important role of R&D and technical organizations to contribute to national policy goals through the practice of activities that demonstrate and reinforce the national position in conjunction with the development and validation of enabling tools. This paper summarizes JAEA’s transparency projects and workshops and discusses achievements and lessons learned that can be applied to current and future efforts to develop effective regional cooperation mechanisms for increasing confidence in the peaceful nature of nuclear energy programs, while also benefitting safeguards, security, and safety objectives.