A Statement of Intent has been signed between the US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science & Technology (MEXT). Under the agreement, NNSA and MEXT will collaborate to increase the proliferation resistance of research reactors in emerging nuclear power countries including the Asian region. They will also proceed with efforts to incorporate proliferation resistance concepts in the design stage of the new research reactor at the Monju Site, which will be used for education, training and research.

This followed the signing of a similar collaboration between NNSA and South Korea's Ministry of Science and Information & Communication Technology (ICT).

The agreements with Japan and South Korea were signed under the NNSA's Proliferation Resistance Optimisation (PRO-X) programme. Launched in 2019, the PRO-X programme aims to provide a framework for evaluating and integrating proliferation resistance into nuclear reactor system (core, fuel and auxiliary facilities) designs that also maintain the safety and peaceful use missions of those systems.

"Japan and Korea have each been fantastic partners to NNSA on nuclear security and non-proliferation issues," said NNSA Administrator Jill Hruby. "I'm very pleased that, through PRO-X, we can extend this cooperation to future reactors and reactor designs."

NNSA said it had signed a memorandum of cooperation with Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Cabinet Office of Japan to conduct joint research and development in priority critical and emerging technology areas. “Our work together has never been more important. This memorandum will enhance collaboration in diverse fields across science and technology, and our cooperation will make the world safer,” said Hruby. The US participating laboratories are Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

The memorandum was a follow-up to the Trilateral Framework the three countries signed in December 2023 by Administrator Hruby; Matsuo Hiroki, Secretary General for Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy, Cabinet Office of Japan; and Cho Seong Kyung, First Vice Minister, Minister of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea. The memorandum enables collaboration at the forefront of scientific domains for mutual economic and security benefit and regional stability.

Image: NNSA Administrator Jill Hruby (R) and Matsuo Hiroki, Secretary General for Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy, Cabinet Office of Japan (L), sign a memorandum to cooperate on research and development (courtesy of NNSA)