U.S., Japan and South Korea launch partnership to expand small nuclear reactor deployment

The United States, Japan and South Korea have signed an agreement to deepen cooperation on the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs), aiming to accelerate the rollout of next-generation nuclear energy projects in partner countries across the Indo-Pacific.

The memorandum of cooperation was signed on Tuesday on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Ankara, Türkiye, establishing a framework for trilateral collaboration between the three countries in the civil nuclear sector.

According to the U.S. State Department, the initiative is designed to strengthen energy security and support the development of reliable low-carbon energy infrastructure in countries seeking to expand nuclear power generation.

The agreement will initially focus on the Indo-Pacific region, where governments are facing growing energy demands and increasing pressure to diversify energy supplies.

The State Department said the memorandum "advances our mutual security interests and paves the way for partner countries to meet their energy security needs," adding that the three countries possess "complementary advantages in the civil nuclear field."

Under the framework, Washington, Tokyo and Seoul will encourage closer cooperation among their respective nuclear industries and promote deployment models intended to reduce project risks and costs.

Supporting nuclear development

The agreement seeks to support fleet deployment strategies that can help achieve economies of scale, attract private investment, streamline licensing procedures and strengthen supply chains.

U.S. officials said the coordinated approach would allow American, Japanese and South Korean companies to offer more competitive nuclear energy solutions while maintaining high standards of nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation.

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The United States also announced more than $10 million in funding for the State Department's Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) programme, which supports the safe deployment of SMR technology in developing markets.

Separately, companies including GE Vernova, Hitachi, Samsung C&T and SGE agreed to advance deployment of the BWRX-300 small modular reactor design across Europe.

Rubio highlights energy resilience

Speaking at the signing ceremony, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted the growing importance of energy security and resilient energy supplies.

Rubio pointed to disruptions in global energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz during the recent U.S.-Iran conflict as an example of the vulnerabilities facing international energy markets.

"Small modular reactors are going to be in many ways the future of energy generation in a very safe, efficient way, cost-effective way that will make our economies stronger," Rubio said.

Small modular reactors are seen by many governments as a potential alternative to conventional nuclear plants because they can be constructed more quickly, require less upfront investment and can be deployed closer to areas of demand.

The agreement was announced during the NATO summit in Ankara, where leaders are discussing defence spending, security cooperation, military modernisation and the war in Ukraine.

Although Japan and South Korea are not NATO members, both countries have regularly participated as invited partners at alliance summits since 2022, reflecting growing cooperation between NATO and Indo-Pacific allies on security and strategic issues.

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