A GROUND-BREAKING collaboration between Sellafield and a Japanese power company is helping to clean up two of the world's most toxic nuclear sites.

Sellafield Ltd and Tepco have been working together for more than two years, pooling ideas and expertise.

Tepco is responsible for decontaminating the Fukushima Daiichi plant, affected by a tsunami in 2011.

Sellafield, meanwhile, is in charge of a 100-year programme to decommission the west Cumbrian site, the most complex in Europe.

Now the collaboration has been shortlisted for a gong in the UK-Japan Partnership category of the British Business Awards, after being nominated by the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan.

England rugby head coach Eddie Jones, who is a former coach of the Japanese national team, is one of the judges for the awards.

Under the partnership, Cumbrian nuclear experts have visited Japan to provide advice and technical expertise. In return, a number of delegations from the Far East have visited Cumbria to learn how Sellafield is tackling decommissioning.

Tepco has been particularly interested in Sellafield's relationships with local communities.

The relationship has also helped a number of Cumbrian businesses to access the Japanese decommissioning market, including Createc, of Cockermouth and James Fisher Nuclear, of Egremont.

Sellafield's chief executive Paul Foster said: “We’re keen to help as much as we can and the fact that they are so keen to access the skills and expertise that exists in Cumbria is something of which I am extremely proud.

“They want to learn from us and, in time, we will learn much from them.

“Seeing the sheer scale of the task at Fukushima highlights why we must continue to share experience and technical expertise amongst the global nuclear family, and this now resonates with me more strongly than ever.”

The British Business Awards celebrate excellence and recognise companies that make contributions through ethical behaviour and environmental sustainability. The winners will be announced on Friday in Tokyo.