Citing a European source close to the project the AFP report said, “Japan is prepared to put more money into the world’s first prototype nuclear fusion reactor if it means it can host the experiment.”

“The European Union (EU) has already offered to pay half the US$836 million cost of building a research facility developing the materials needed to construct the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), and Japan is prepared to match that.

“Japan decided three weeks ago that it would also offer to finance 50% of the materials research centre to match the EU position. The EU had offered to pay half at a bilateral meeting with Japan in April, but at the time Japan’s reaction was lukewarm,” added the insider.

The EU wants the project to be sited at Cadarache in France and has the support of China and Russia. Japan wants the project to be located at Rokkasho-mura in Japan and has the backing of South Korea and the US. A third candidate, Spain, gave up last November.