Helical Fusion, a Japanese start-up, plans to launch the world’s first steady-state nuclear fusion reactor by 2034, with commercial operations expected in the 2040s, marking a significant leap in energy production.
Bollywood Fever: Japanese start-up Helical Fusion is setting an ambitious goal to launch the world’s first steady-state nuclear fusion reactor by 2034, with plans to begin commercial operations in the 2040s.
In an interview with Reuters, Helical Fusion CEO Takaya Taguchi outlined the company’s vision to achieve what has eluded scientists for decades—creating a commercially viable fusion reactor that can generate emissions-free power.
“We aim to have the world’s first steady-state fusion reactor up and generating electricity within the next 10 years,” Taguchi stated. If successful, this breakthrough could transform Japan, an energy-importing nation, into a self-sufficient energy producer and even position it as an energy exporter, greatly enhancing the country’s energy security.
Helical Fusion was co-founded in 2021 by Taguchi, who previously worked in banking, along with two scientists from Japan’s National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS). The company plans to use the helical-method, a magnetic approach, to build a pilot reactor with a generation capacity of 50-100 megawatts.
“If we run the pilot reactor starting in 2034 for a few years, we could begin building a commercial reactor and have it operational in around 2040 at the earliest,” said Taguchi. Japan has already invested approximately 400 billion yen ($2.8 billion) in fusion research at NIFS, which owns one of the world’s largest fusion experimental facilities. This facility has achieved plasma temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius and sustained plasma durations for over 3,000 seconds.
Despite these advancements, significant challenges remain. Scientists worldwide have struggled for decades to generate more energy from a fusion reaction than is required to initiate it, which demands heating the fuel to over 100 million degrees Celsius. Taguchi acknowledged these hurdles, noting that Helical Fusion needs to raise 1 trillion yen to build the pilot reactor. Additionally, the company must develop high-temperature superconductivity technology for coils and establish safety regulations to gain local construction approval.
If Helical Fusion succeeds, it could mark a turning point in global energy production, potentially unlocking a new era of clean, limitless energy.
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