US, Japan, Korea Sign Trilateral SMR Deployment Pact
The US, Japan and South Korea signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in Ankara on July 8, 2026 to accelerate small modular reactor deployments in the Indo-Pacific, plus a European BWRX-300 push.
Key Takeaways
The US, Japan and South Korea signed a trilateral Memorandum of Cooperation on July 8, 2026 in Ankara, on the margins of the NATO Summit, to accelerate SMR deployments in third countries with a priority on the Indo-Pacific.
Signed by Marco Rubio, Motegi Toshimitsu and Cho Hyun, the pact aims to de-risk project development, achieve economies of scale, catalyse private investment, streamline licensing and optimise supply chains.
Washington is committing more than $10 million in new funding to the State Department's FIRST program for feasibility studies, workforce development and an SMR Regional Training Hub.
In parallel, GE Vernova, Hitachi, Samsung C&T and Poland's SGE launched an industry initiative to deploy the BWRX-300 SMR across Europe, building on Ontario's Darlington project and SGE's 14-unit UK plan.
The pact aligns with domestic momentum like the NRC's Clinch River BWRX-300 permit recommendation and the push to power AI infrastructure with new reactors.
Kaan Tınmaz
The United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea signed a trilateral Memorandum of Cooperation on Tuesday, July 8, 2026 to accelerate small modular reactor deployments in third countries, marking one of the most consequential nuclear-diplomacy moves of the year and pairing it with a European BWRX-300 industry initiative.
The MoC in Ankara
Signed on the margins of the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, the pact frames trilateral cooperation designed to "de-risk project development, achieve economies of scale, catalyse private investment, streamline licensing processes and optimise supply chains," the US State Department said. The three governments will identify third-country hosts, prioritize the Indo-Pacific and lean on their industries to form fleet-deployment consortiums.
$10M for FIRST, plus a European BWRX-300 push
Washington is committing more than $10 million in new funding for the State Department's FIRST program to underwrite feasibility studies, workforce development and an SMR Regional Training Hub. In parallel, GE Vernova, Hitachi, Samsung C&T and Poland's SGE unveiled an industry initiative to deploy the BWRX-300 SMR across Europe, extending the design already picked by Ontario Power Generation for Darlington and by SGE for its 14-unit UK plan announced last week.
What did the US, Japan and South Korea agree to on July 8, 2026?
They signed a trilateral Memorandum of Cooperation in Ankara, Turkey, on the margins of the NATO Summit, to accelerate small modular reactor deployments in third countries, prioritizing the Indo-Pacific and encouraging their industries to form fleet-deployment consortiums.
Who signed the trilateral SMR pact?
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun.
What new funding accompanies the agreement?
The US is committing more than $10 million to the State Department's FIRST program to fund feasibility studies, workforce development and an SMR Regional Training Hub.
What is the European BWRX-300 initiative announced alongside the pact?
GE Vernova, Hitachi, Samsung C&T and Poland's SGE unveiled an industry initiative to deploy the BWRX-300 SMR across Europe, extending the design already chosen by Ontario Power Generation for Darlington and by SGE for its 14-unit UK plan.
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