Toshiba Corp. (6502.TO) said Friday it has agreed with Kazakhstan's state-owned Kazatomprom to discuss broadening their cooperation in the nuclear power business to include nuclear fusion-related areas.
The two companies earlier in the day signed a memorandum of understanding, under which they will consider the possibility of Kazatomprom's supplying rare metals - such as beryllium and tantalum - used in nuclear fusion to Toshiba, a Toshiba spokesman said.
They will also discuss cooperating in the manufacture of components used in nuclear fusion, such as turbines that can withstand high temperatures, he added.
The Japanese manufacturer and Central Asian nuclear energy company have been in partnership since April 2007 in uranium mining and manufacturing nuclear power components.
Kazakhstan, which holds the world's second largest uranium reserves, wants to diversify its customers and encourage more investment from overseas.
Toshiba, parent of U.S. nuclear power plant maker Westinghouse, hopes that the ability to deliver uranium fuel will boost its competitive edge in winning contracts to build nuclear power plants.
With the latest MOU, Toshiba and Kazatomprom will cooperate not only in existing nuclear technologies but also in the development of the next-generation nuclear technologies, said the spokesman.
Nuclear fusion power generation is theoretically more productive than nuclear fission, but it has yet to reach commercial use.