Helical Fusion signs Japan’s first fusion power PPA with Aoki Super

Helical Fusion has entered a power purchase agreement with Aoki Super, marking the first fusion energy PPA in Japan. The agreement links the start-up’s planned stellarator reactor with a major supermarket chain that uses large daily electricity volumes across its stores.

Helical Fusion is developing a stellarator reactor design that draws on about seventy years of international research. The National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS) hosts the Large Helical Device, which is a leading global stellarator facility. The company was created in 2021 by former banker Takaya Taguchi and two NIFS scientists.

The company aims to build what it describes as the first commercially viable stellarator for grid supply. Its Helix Programme includes Helix HARUKA, which is an intermediate device for system validation, and Helix KANATA, which is a full scale pilot plant designed for steady state net electric fusion power. Helical Fusion plans to develop a pilot reactor with a capacity of 50 to 100 megawatts electrical by about 2040.

Helical Fusion said the PPA shows that its development pathway has been assessed by Aoki Super as a real electricity consumer with significant power needs. The two companies hold a shared view that fusion energy can support lower-impact retail operations.

Image Source: Helical Fusion