US, Japan, Korea ink SMR pact for Indo-Pacific

Ankara, July 8 (IANS) The United States, Japan and South Korea on Tuesday signed a trilateral agreement to accelerate the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) in third countries, with an initial focus on the Indo-Pacific, marking a significant step in their expanding strategic cooperation on energy security and civil nuclear technology.

The Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) was signed on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Ankara by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun.

Describing energy security as one of the world’s most pressing challenges, Rubio said the agreement represented a tangible outcome of the three countries’ growing partnership.

“One of the most important issues in the world today, as we’re reminded of even now with events happening in the Straits of Hormuz and in other places, is energy security,” Rubio said.

He added that the agreement would allow the three countries “to move forward on joint work on small modular reactors, which is 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 the agreement was “a product of our trilateral engagement” and demonstrated that the forum was delivering concrete results.

He also welcomed continued engagement between Japan and South Korea, saying their bilateral relationship had become stronger despite past challenges.

“I know that it’s a relationship that’s been tested in recent times and in the past, but it’s one that I think has grown stronger over the last three to four years, and we’ve certainly tried to foster it because these are two very close and important allies of ours,” he said.

The State Department said the memorandum establishes a framework for trilateral cooperation to accelerate SMR deployment in other countries and advances the three nations’ shared security interests while helping partner countries meet their energy security needs.

According to the department, the framework seeks to encourage cooperation among the three countries’ nuclear industries by promoting fleet deployment models, reducing project risks, achieving economies of scale, attracting private investment, streamlining licensing processes and optimising supply chains.

It said the coordinated approach would enable American, Japanese and South Korean companies to offer more competitive nuclear energy solutions while maintaining “the highest standards of nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation.”

Japan’s Motegi welcomed the signing, saying the three countries had already made “concrete efforts” since last October, including strengthening critical minerals supply chains and addressing North Korea’s cyber threats.

“I welcome this significant achievement of signing the Memorandum of Cooperation regarding SMR,” Motegi said.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho described SMRs as “one of the many areas where we can work together, facing the challenges of the world.”

The United States also announced more than $10 million in new funding for the State Department’s Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) Programme. The funding will support technical assistance for countries in the Indo-Pacific, advance SMR project development and establish a regional training hub for workforce development.

Separately, Washington announced an industry initiative involving GE Vernova, Hitachi, Samsung C&T and SGE to support deployment of the BWRX-300 SMR across Europe.

Small modular reactors are advanced nuclear reactors designed to generate reliable low-carbon electricity with smaller footprints and lower upfront costs than conventional nuclear plants. Several countries are investing heavily in the technology as they seek secure, clean and dependable energy sources while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

–IANS

lkj/rs