Japan to cooperate in 5 areas of U.S. nuclear fuel program

Japan on Friday offered to cooperate in five areas with a U.S.-initiated international program aimed at safely providing nuclear fuel to developing nations and advancing technologies for recycling and protecting nuclear fuel and waste.

 

Visiting Japanese science minister Kenji Kosaka said he made the offer during a meeting with U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman.

Japan proposed conducting joint fuel development using its "Joyo" experimental and "Monju" prototype fast-breeder nuclear reactors. U.S. officials had been pressing Japan to cooperate in this area for the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, or GNEP.

The U.S. Energy Department announced the GNEP program in February, asking Japan, China, France, Britain and Russia to join it.

The program intends to develop new and more efficient ways to produce nuclear fuel and provide it to other countries, while also safeguarding against nuclear proliferation.

The Japan-proposed joint work also includes designing U.S. fuel cycle facilities, developing structural materials to make nuclear reactors smaller, developing large main equipment for sodium-cooled reactors, and drawing up safeguard concepts for fuel cycle facilities based on Japan's experiences, said Kosaka, minister for education, culture, sports, science and technology.