Japan doubling down on its commitment to fusion - FusionX Perspective
By Stuart Allen, Co-Founder & CEO FusionX Group
Japan has been a key player in the global pursuit of fusion energy since the 1950s. In recent decades Japanese fusion has been defined by significant international collaborations and major experimental initiatives including the Large Helical Device (LHD) and the JT-60 tokamak, now upgraded to the JT-60SA, both of which have provided critical data and insights that have supported the global advance of fusion research.
Building on this heritage of fusion science and engineering, the past four years have seen some key activities: the emergence of three innovative domestic fusion companies; the definition of a national fusion strategy with the aim of industrialising fusion energy within 10 years including ‘specific actions that will attract private investment’; and the founding of the Japan Fusion Energy Council (J-Fusion).
Japan now has broad private-sector engagement with fusion, explicitly supported by the Japanese government and J-Fusion, encompassing:
· Three private Japanese companies, Helical Fusion, EX-Fusion and Linea Innovations, each actively seeking to build a fusion energy machine. Each of these companies are using a different approach.
o Helical Fusion is building a helical fusion reactor, a type of stellarator.
o EX-Fusion is focused on an innovative laser confined approach.
o Newcomer Linea Innovations is exploring an aneutronic approach and recently
signed an MOU with TAE Technologies to cooperate on challenges including
magnetic field reversal coordination.
· Kyoto Fusioneering, now operating globally with subsidiaries in the UK and the US, working in a wide range of fusion technologies to address key commercialisation challenges. Most recently the company established Fusion Fuel Cycles Inc., a Joint Venture with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, to accelerate the deployment of a fully integrated Deuterium-Tritium fuel cycle system.
· Innovators in high-temperature superconducting magnet technologies including Fujikura and Faraday Factory, both leading suppliers to fusion leaders like Commonwealth Fusion Systems.
· A long-list of Japanese Venture Capital investors that have allocated capital to fusion and the fusion supply-chain including Hitachi Ventures, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, Toyota Ventures; and SMBC Venture Capital.
· Major strategic investors that have taken equity stakes in fusion companies, including Furukawa Electric’s investment in Tokamak Energy; Sumitomo Corp’s investment in TAE; and Itochu Corporation’s stake in Blue Laser Fusion.
· A number of strategic partnerships between Japanese leaders in Japanese science and engineering and international fusion companies including that between Sumitomo Corp and Tokamak Energy.
In addition, in recent months the US and Japan announced a strategic partnership to accelerate fusion commercialisation leveraging the US’s Bold Decadal Vision for Commercial Fusion Energy and Strategy for International Partnerships in a New Era of Fusion Development, and Japan’s Fusion Energy Innovation Strategy.
Significant challenges remain to achieving practical fusion energy, but Japan is doubling-down on its commitment in all of development, engineering, materials and investment.
To discuss this, Fusion Energy Insights is hosting a members Q&A event in September on ‘The Japanese Fusion Grand Vision’ with Prof. Shutaro Takeda, Kyushu University.
Additionally, FusionXInvest:Japan in Tokyo on October 15th & 16th is where fusion innovators (including Avalanche Energy, First Light Fusion, SHINE Technologies, Zap Energy, General Fusion, Alpha Ring, OpenStar Technologies and Thea Energy) will meet their Japanese peers and connect with senior representatives from the Japanese government and from Japanese financial and strategic investors. Financial attendees include Mitsui & Co, ANRI, Waseda University Ventures, Sumitomo, Hitachi, Furukawa Electric, Plug and Play Japan, Mitsui Fudosan….
Register now to secure your spot at FusionXInvest and be part of the conversation.