U.S.-Japan Cooperative Efforts in Energy Research and Development

Information was requested on the nature and status of United States-Japan cooperative efforts in energy research and development. In May 1979, the United States and Japan signed an agreement to cooperate on energy-related matters. This is an umbrella agreement for cooperation in several areas and is to run for 10 years. The initial areas to be emphasized are nuclear fusion and coal conversion. The agreement contains no dollar amounts and states only that cooperation will be undertaken on the basis of equitable sharing of costs and benefits. The projects agreed upon or being negotiated are: (1) nuclear fusion (Doublet III Project), (2) coal liquification, (3) solar energy, (4) geothermal energy, (5) high energy physics, and (6) magnetohydrodynamics. While the Doublet III and high energy physics agreements have been signed, the other four are in several stages of negotiation. Various funding arrangements are involved, and two projects also involve the Federal Republic of Germany. Japan has committed $70 million for the joint nuclear fusion project which will cost about $140 million over 5 years; it is negotiating for a 25 percent share of the $1.51 billion coal liquification project. The geothermal, solar, and high energy physics projects are smaller in scale and Japan's participation in each is anticipated to range from $2 to $6 million annually. The magnetohydrodynamics project is in the preliminary stages of discussion. It is believed that Japanese financial participation in these and other cooperative projects over the 10 years of the agreement may approach $1 billion.