Japan Considers Investing in Nuclear Reactor Development in the US
Japan is considering investing in the development of next-generation nuclear reactors in the United States, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The plan is being considered as part of a second round of investment commitments worth $550 billion (around Rp 9,304 trillion) under a trade deal reached with the administration of President Donald Trump in July.
As reported by ANTARA from Kyodo, Thursday, February 19, the Japanese government is currently drafting plans ahead of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's visit to the United States scheduled for next month.
The two governments have just announced the first phase of investment totaling around 36 billion US dollars (Rp608 trillion). This phase includes the production of synthetic diamonds, natural gas-fired power plants, and the construction of crude oil export terminals.
Japanese companies have expressed interest in participating in all three projects.
The idea of investing in a new generation of nuclear reactors emerged in response to the increasing demand for electricity in the United States amid the widespread use of generative artificial intelligence.
Japan has committed to investing $550 billion in the United States by the end of Trump's second term in January 2029, in return for tariff reductions by his administration on Japanese cars and other goods.
Government documents on Japanese-US investment released in October listed Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., the Toshiba Corp. group, and IHI Corp. as some of the Japanese companies considering involvement in the development of a nuclear reactor and a small modular reactor owned by US nuclear company Westinghouse Electric Corp.
The document states that the value of the project can reach up to 100 billion US dollars (Rp. 1,691 trillion).
As for the post-announcement of the first wave of investment, Takaichi on Wednesday (18/2) promised to work closely with the United States to accelerate the implementation of the initial phase of investment.