Fukushima and the UK nuclear industry

Following the nuclear incident at Japan’s Fukushima Dai-ichi site, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change formally asked Mike Weightman to provide a report to Government on the implications and lessons learnt for the UK nuclear industry. 

Here you will find the interim report from May 2011 and the final report published in October 2011.

• Full report
• Press release
• Interim report on the Japanese earthquake and tsunami: Implications for the UK nuclear industry

Government response to Dr Weightman's report on Fukushima

Charles Hendry, Minister of State for Energy, made a Written Ministerial Statement to the House on 1 December to announce the Governments response to Mike Weightman's final report on Fukushima.

Mike Weightman talks about his final report into the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident and the lessons for the UK nuclear industry.

• Video: Mike Weightman interview

The technical advisory panel provided advice on the scope of the final report into the implications for the UK nuclear industry following the events at Fukushima.  Members include representatives from the Environment Agency, the National Nuclear Laboratory and various other experts and consultants. 

• Technical Advisory Panel (TAP)

The submissions received for both the Interim and Final reports have been published in line with our policy on openness and transparency and our commitment to publish all submissions received. Where possible submissions have been published in full; however, some information has necessarily been withheld for reasons of security or confidentiality. The views expressed in the published submissions represent the views of the persons making the submissions. HSE accepts no legal responsibility for any errors, omissions or misleading statements contained in the submissions.

• Submissions of information

In the wake of events at Fukushima, every nuclear power generating country in Europe agreed to carry out safety ‘stress tests’.  The tests, completed by licensees, involve a targeted reassessment of each station’s safety margins in light of extreme natural events, such as earthquake and tsunami.

The European Council requested reports on the progress of these tests by 15 September 2011 and a final national report by 31 December 2011. The UK progress report confirms that ‘stress tests’ have been initiated at all UK nuclear power stations, as required.

More information on European Council Stress Tests.

Following the release of the final report on the Japanese earthquake and tsunami: Implications for the UK nuclear industry, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) is conducting presentations regionally for members of the public where it will present the final report and its findings and take questions. The events in Cumbria/Lancashire and Glasgow will be confirmed in the new year.

The events are free and open to all. Please register your details below to attend

Alternatively, please write with your contact details, phone number and choice of event to:

Fukushima Community Briefings
Office for Nuclear Regulation
Redgrave Court
Merton Road, Bootle L20 7HS

• Written Ministerial Statement by Chris Huhne, Secretary of State
  18 May 2011
• Chief Nuclear Inspector publishes interim 'lessons learnt' report
  18 May 2011
• Invitation to submit information on the implications of the Fukushima nuclear accident (Update)
  18 May 2011
• New UK nuclear reactor designs to consider Japan report
  5 April 2011
• Invitation to submit information on the implications of the Fukushima nuclear accident
  4 April 2011
• Statement from HM Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations on the implications of the Fukushima nuclear accident
  29 March 2011