Nuclear handshakes

May 28, 2009

Earlier this month, Toshihiro Nikai and Steven Chu sat together in Washington, D.C. to talk technology. Specifically, energy and climate change. The discussion between the industry, trade and economy minister and the energy secretary, respectively, was finalized with six memoranda of understanding (MOUs) between various U.S. Dept. of Energy-operated laboratories and the “Agency of Industrial Science and Technology” (AIST), Japan’s primary research institute.

Sure, the friendly pursuit of certain environmentally-sensitive solutions—lower carbon emissions, zero emissions buildings, plug-in hybrids—helped the cement the agreement, but I believe that energy really anchors this initiative. More specifically, nuclear energy.

MOUs with other countries on energy-related topics are nothing new. Last summer, DOE signed one with Sweden to promote market integration of plug-in hybrids. And a U.S.-Japan Joint Nuclear Energy Action Plan is already a going concern.

But these agreements with Japan are a different animal. The broad scope of the memoranda, joined as they are with the strategic implications of nuclear-based R&D, indicates that Japan’s traditionally insular approach to R&D and intellectual property may giving way to larger interests of nuclear non-proliferation and energy independence.

The memoranda, which includes Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories, keepers of much of America’s nuclear expertise (and arsenal), do not stop with the joint development of sodium-cooled fast reactor technology. The goals include collaboration on financing new power plant construction (a key limiting factor to nuclear energy development in the U.S.), discussion of global topics such as nuclear liability, and participation in international nuclear energy partnerships.

Japan’s abilities in high-tech manufacturing are well-established and their expertise in battery technology and the strong likelihood that physiomechanical technologies in the U.S. will continue to be lost to offshore competitors in the coming years are both strong considerations as the U.S. builds partnerships overseas.

We must not forget also that only Japan and possibly Russia have the manufacturing facilities able to make the containment tanks necessary for major nuclear facilities (one reason for developing smaller fast-breeder reactors). Or that Japan is a world leader in automation and robotics, both of which will come in handy for managing a new refining and refueling network based on hydrogen or biomass-derived fuels.

We are facing up to the reality that while the U.S. is the undisputed world leader in R&D, it has lagged in areas related specifically to energy: nuclear, wind, fuel cells, hybrid engines, green manufacturing, and even solar cells. It is playing an vigorous game of catch up. In fact, with $467 million from DOE just announced under ARRA funding for geothermal research one could argue that the U.S. is adopting a shotgun method to energy R&D. But it rarely hurts to get a helping hand.