The Japanese government said Thursday it will provide the International Atomic Energy Agency about 18.5 million euros ($20 million) and affirmed with visiting IAEA chief Rafael Grossi its commitment to continue cooperating over the release of treated radioactive water from the disaster-hit Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea.
Grossi visited Japan this week for the first time since the country began releasing the wastewater into the Pacific Ocean in August last year, a process which has also been monitored by the U.N. nuclear watchdog.
During talks with the IAEA director general in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida vowed to continue to work with the IAEA and "broaden the international community's understanding" on the water discharge "with a high level of transparency," according to the Japanese government.
The discharge from the Fukushima Daiichi plant remains a controversial issue, with China imposing a blanket import ban on seafood products from Japan. Tokyo has urged Beijing to lift the restriction immediately.
Grossi told Kishida that he confirmed during his trip to Fukushima Prefecture on Wednesday that the water release is being carried out safely and as planned, in full accordance with international standards, according to the government.
Recalling his meeting with local authorities and fishermen on Wednesday, the IAEA chief told a press conference in Tokyo that he perceived "satisfaction" regarding data indicating "no harmful effects on the environment" so far.
"They are counting on the IAEA to stay there to continue its permanent and independent work as a means to provide this credible assurance that everything is going as it should," he said.
Japan expects to dispose of over 1.3 million tons of the treated water, which has been pooled in over 1,000 tanks, as a key step in decommissioning the plant, crippled by a severe nuclear accident triggered by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
The water, processed to remove most radionuclides except tritium, is diluted with seawater to one-40th of the concentration permitted under Japanese safety standards before being released via an underwater tunnel 1 kilometer off the power plant.
Grossi inspected the plant's water sampling facilities and the procedure of diluting and releasing the treated water on Wednesday, to ensure the liquid is released as planned and the levels of tritium in the water are extremely low.
In July 2023, the IAEA submitted a report to Japan, concluding that the water release aligns with global safety standards and that the discharge would have a "negligible radiological impact on people and the environment."
Grossi and Kishida also agreed during their meeting to bolster cooperation over the peaceful use of nuclear energy and nonproliferation of nuclear weapons.
The IAEA chief separately met Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, who announced the financial aid to IAEA following their talks.
The aid is intended to support IAEA's efforts to utilize nuclear technology to tackle global challenges such as climate change, food security and public health, Kamikawa said, citing insect pest control method using radiation and crop improvement programs as examples.
Related coverage:
Japan, IAEA agree to keep working together on treated Fukushima water
China demands Japan start Fukushima treated water compensation system
China's nuclear plants released tritium above Fukushima level in 2022
