Australia has officially joined an international group focused on developing future nuclear energy systems.

The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation has been welcomed into the Generation IV International Forum Framework agreement, which aims to develop next-generation nuclear power systems, and which ANSTO calls "a potential game-changer in global energy creation".

ANSTO will play a part in developing future nuclear energy technology. Credit:Sahlan Hayes

Although Australia signed the GIF charter last year, the event marked the country's official accession to the nuclear framework agreement, which is focused on six different nuclear reactor designs that provide power and "stringent standards in relation to safety and non-proliferation".

However, ANSTO stated this was not about advancing the cause of nuclear energy in Australia's current energy mix; instead, it was about utilising Australian skills in research and development.