The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said last week it successfully transferred 1.7 metric tons of high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) from Japan to the United States, reportedly the largest international transfer in the agency’s history.
NNSA teamed up with Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, according to the press release.
“This milestone accelerates our progress towards a secure and independent energy future, while reaffirming our commitment to nuclear nonproliferation,” Matthew Napoli, NNSA’s deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation, said in the press release. “Through this partnership with Japan, we are fueling the next generation of nuclear power, and solidifying America’s energy dominance.”
HALEU is uranium enriched between 5% and 20%, usually for civilian purposes and for powering advanced reactors. President Donald Trump’s Executive Order on Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security calls for accelerating deployment of HALEU for the domestic nuclear industry, the release called out.