By Yudai Tobe / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
Helical Fusion Co., a Japanese startup aiming to commercialize fusion power, announced Monday that it has formed a business partnership with Hazama Ando Corp. for construction of its first power plant, scheduled to begin operations in the 2030s.
As an official partner in the "Helix Program," aimed at realizing the world's first commercial fusion reactor, Hazama Ando is now the fourth company to join the initiative.
Fusion power involves artificially replicating the fusion reactions that occur inside the sun and harnessing the energy produced. Unlike with nuclear fission plants, this does not generate highly radioactive waste, and various reactor designs are currently being developed. Helical Fusion is developing a "Helical Stellarator," which uses spiral coils, and plans to complete a small-scale test unit around 2030.
The other partners in the project are Nichias Corp., Hasetora Spinning Co. and Seno Kisen Co. Hazama Ando is the first general contractor to join in.
At a press conference on Monday, Kazuhiko Kuniya, president of Hazama Ando, praised the project, saying that it had "set key milestones and has a very strong chance of success."
"We intend to both provide financial support and contribute our technology and expertise to the fullest extent possible," he added.
The Japanese government has designated fusion energy as one of its 17 strategic fields. A plan that runs through fiscal 2040 calls for 3.1 trillion yen in public and private investment in the fusion sector.
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This article is from The Yomiuri Shimbun. Neither Dow Jones Newswires, MarketWatch, Barron's nor The Wall Street Journal were involved in the creation of this content.
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