Japan May Consider Sharing Fusion Project (with France)

[papau]

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-japan-fusion-energy,0,2699028.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines

Japan May Consider Sharing Fusion Project

By Associated Press January 28, 2004, 8:38 AM EST

TOKYO -- Japan would consider sharing with France the right to host the world's first large-scale nuclear fusion plant, if an international consortium can't decide between the two next month, a top government official said Wednesday.

France and Japan are bidding for the plant, which would generate energy by reproducing the sun's power source -- an estimated US$12 billion effort to find an alternative to fossil fuels like coal and oil.

The project's sponsors -- the European Union, the United States, Russia, Japan, South Korea and China -- had met in December to choose the site for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, known as ITER. But they failed to reach a consensus.

Science Minister Takeo Kawamura told reporters on Wednesday that Tokyo's first priority would be to break the deadlock at the next meeting, expected to be held in late February.

"We don't want to stop the momentum behind this project," he said. <snip>