Fukushima signs renewable energy pact with German state
Fukushima, host of the Daiichi nuclear power plant crippled by the 2011 tsunami, and North Rhine-Westphalia to collaborate on research and investments in renewable energy
Fukushima Prefecture in Japan has signed an agreement with the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia to collaborate on renewable energy projects.
The prefecture hosts the Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that was crippled by the 2011 tsunami and is aiming to introduce renewable energy technologies from Germany.
The Vice Governor of Fukushima, Fumio Murata, attended a signing ceremony held in Dusseldorf on Monday and said, "We expect (the collaboration) will give further momentum" to the prefecture's effort toward a nuclear-free ideal.
State environment minister Johannes Remmel said that Germany and Japan have the technological expertise to accomplish worldwide success in the field of renewable energy.
Fukushima and North Rhine-Westphalia will host industry trade fairs featuring renewable energy businesses and will promote joint research programmes among businesses over the next three years.
After the Fukushima Daiichi crisis, Germany decided to stop all of its 17 nuclear reactors by the end of 2022 and renewable energy accounted for a record 23.4 per cent in the total electricity generated in Germany last year.
