Joint Statement of the Department of Energy and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology on a Strategic Partnership to Accelerate the Demonstration and Commercialization of Fusion Energy

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) today decided to enter into a major new strategic partnership to accelerate the demonstration and commercialization of fusion energy. . This new partnership is designed to focus on advancing America’s bold 10-year commercial fusion energy vision and international partnership strategy in a new era of fusion development, as well as Japan’s fusion energy innovation strategy. .

Fusion energy has the potential to provide a low-carbon, safe, sustainable and reliable energy supply, supporting global efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions and strengthen energy security and resilience. It can be transformative. This could have significant social and economic benefits. Fully realizing these benefits will require appropriate regulatory, social, and market policies, as well as overcoming significant remaining technical challenges.

The United States and Japan have a long history of cooperative activities in the field of fusion, including exchange programs, joint research, and joint projects covered by the Coordinating Committee on Fusion Energy (CCFE). It is being implemented based on an agreement between the Japanese and U.S. governments. United States and Japanese Governments on Cooperation in Research and Development in Science and Technology (STA)¹. Both countries are also participating in ITER, a large-scale multilateral project aimed at bridging the major science and technology gaps to make fusion energy a reality.

This new partnership leverages CCFE and is expected to further develop the complementarity of the combined resources and facilities of the United States and Japan, including universities, national laboratories, and private companies.

This partnership aims to focus on the following pillars:

• Through activities conducted pursuant to the STA, we will address the scientific and technical challenges of providing commercially viable fusion energy for a variety of fusion systems.
• Explore opportunities for shared access and/or development of facilities needed for fusion research and development, and explore how a coordinated strategic approach can maximize value for the United States and Japan.
• International development of regulatory frameworks, norms and standards, including rulemaking efforts by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and leveraging ongoing discussions under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Agile National Fusion Energy Task Force. Promote harmony.
• Welcome and consider discussions among national fusion industry groups to identify and support the development of a resilient global supply chain that facilitates the introduction of commercial fusion.
• Support public engagement with local communities to promote social license for the deployment of fusion energy and support an equitable clean energy transition.and
• Accelerate skills development to ensure the growth of the talent and talent needed for the robust, inclusive and diverse workforce needed in the fusion sector over the next decade and beyond.

DOE and MEXT will advance this strategic partnership effort through the CCFE, which is co-chaired by DOE and MEXT and is scheduled to meet in the coming months. The CCFE is expected to identify and delineate priority U.S.-Japan cooperation opportunities to realize a shared vision for fusion energy as an essential part of the world’s future energy supply.