Japan, US and South Korea explore exporting nuclear reactors to Indonesia

Tokyo (ANTARA) – Japan, the United States and South Korea are considering options to export next-generation nuclear reactors they are jointly developing to Indonesia.

The initiative is part of government-backed cooperation between the nuclear industries of the three countries to develop and manufacture small modular reactors (SMRs), according to Japanese government sources cited in a report on Sunday. It is intended to be extended to other countries as an alternative to nuclear technology from Russia and China.

Indonesia has already reached an agreement with Russian state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom to operate two floating nuclear power plants.

The three countries are also targeting Malaysia and the Philippines as potential future destinations for modular reactors.

The joint project follows the signing last July of a trilateral cooperation framework by the foreign ministers of Japan, the US and South Korea to promote the deployment of SMRs overseas.

Under the strategic collaboration, Washington will lead on nuclear reactor design expertise, Seoul will take the lead in power plant construction, and Tokyo will contribute its expertise in manufacturing key plant equipment.