Jacobs has been appointed by the Tokyo Electric Power Company Inc. (TEPCO) to support decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan.

The five-year framework agreement will see Jacobs draw on its deep domain knowledge and decades of experience on major US and UK nuclear sites to provide programme and project management services to TEPCO’s Fukushima decontamination and decommissioning engineering company.

In March 2011, an earthquake and tsunami caused the Fukushima Daiichi plant to experience the world’s second most severe nuclear accident - leading to meltdowns in three reactors, hydrogen explosions and the release of radioactive material. The framework will address key challenges, such as treatment of contaminated water, decontaminated water release, spent fuel, fuel debris and general site improvements.

Jacobs’ involvement will include project management support, long-term decommissioning strategy planning, management and implementation of supply chain resources and program definition for fuel debris retrieval.

“Drawing on important cultural aspects of our client relationship, effective communication and mutual understanding as well as our deep domain experience, we will deploy deep technical capabilities to deliver superior solutions,” said Jacobs senior vice-president for energy, security & technology Karen Wiemelt. “Jacobs values this opportunity to create bespoke processes, embodying industry best practices, to advance the clean-up of the world’s most complex nuclear decommissioning site for the benefit of future generations.”

Jacobs’ specialists in Japan and the UK have been working with TEPCO since 2016. Under this new framework, they will be embedded within the client’s organization to assist in further development of in-house decommissioning and engineering capabilities, which will assume responsibility for work previously contracted out.

“We are pleased to have this agreement and are looking forward to the significant contribution that Jacobs can offer by providing TEPCO with technology and knowledge gained from successful projects at Sellafield in the UK,” said TEPCO chief decommissioning officer Akira Ono. “This agreement is an opportunity to deepen our cooperation and proceed safely and steadily toward the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station.”