FPN02-10

Japan Struggles to Find ITER Money

March 20, 2002

In the face of a continuing weak economy, the Government of Japan is struggling to find the money necessary of formally offer a site for the proposed multi-billion dollar ITER fusion project and even to provide the lesser amount necessary to participate as a full partner if ITER is sited elsewhere. Budgets proposed for fusion for the fiscal year starting April 1, 2002 would slash the base fusion program in Japan, including a 50% reduction in the operations of its flagship JT-60 tokamak and a 30% reduction in the budget of its billion-dollar class stellarator, LHD.

The Prime Minister of Japan was briefed on the ITER situation at a meeting of the Japan Council of Science and Technology Policy, which he chairs, on December 25, 2001. In a report provided by Mr. Koji Omi, Minister in charge of Science and Technology and signed by "Knowledgeable Members of the Council of Science and Technology Policy," Mr. Omi told the Prime Minister, "We would like to request to make the final decision on the participation to and/or siting ITER Project at the next or later Council of Science and Technology Policy meeting, based on the actual situation of the other countries and the result of the Negotiations Meeting scheduled for January 2002." Omi noted that "the site country owes considerable amount of cost and responsibilities for safety assurance and the waste management compared to the mere participation." "Nevertheless," Omi said, "if we intend to take a leading part in fusion power generation in the future the results acquired from siting is considered to be quite big." Omi noted many scientific and technology benefits anticipated from the ITER project, saying, "With regard to the accumulated results profitable for science and technology of our country, if we participate to ITER Project, in addition to share the research results, technical acquirement is anticipated through joint provision of the materials and seconding researchers. Furthermore, in case of siting ITER Project, the international centre of fusion research is formed in Japan and a lot more technology will be accumulated and personnel will be reared compared to the mere participation." (An informal translation of the main portion of the report is posted at http://fire.pppl.gov/japan_cstp_dec01.pdf)

Minister Omi visited the US in early September 2001, and formally urged US officials to rejoin the ITER project (Science, 14 September 2001, p. 1983) in meetings with Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and others. However, in an interview with Science magazine reporter Jeffrey Mervis, Omi said "Even without US participation, the three partners (Japan, Europe and Russia) will proceed with this program. We are going to decide where the facility will be constructed and what roles the partners will play, and then proceed to implementation."