Japan and Kuwait in nuclear cooperation

• 13 years ago (2010-09-11)
• Junior Isles

Asia 864 Europe 1075 Middle East 317 North America 1006 Nuclear 644

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Japan and Kuwait have reached an agreement to cooperate in building nuclear power plants and encouraging the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

The agreement will see Kuwait bring Japanese nuclear expertise into play as the country attempts to meet its rising energy demand. A similar agreement was struck with France in April.

It is expected to result in lucrative contracts being won by Japanese firms within Kuwait’s new and expanding nuclear industry.
Japan is stepping up efforts in the nuclear power  market after a Japanese-US consortium lost out in December last year to South Korea in a deal to build and operate nuclear reactors in the United Arab Emirates.

Operating foreign nuclear plants abroad is a new growth strategy being adopted by Japan’s utility companies. The country is experiencing low energy demand growth as a result of a rapidly aging population and power hungry industries moving elsewhere.

Japan has made many similar government-to-government energy agreements in recent years, with Malaysia earlier this month the most recent. Several have been agreed since 2007, including agreements with Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Vietnam, the UAE and Jordan.