Fujikura Ltd. has decided to invest in Helical Fusion and will accelerate the commercial deployment of next-generation energy by incorporating high-temperature superconducting wire into the company's fusion reactors and considering technical cooperation from the design stage.
Fujikura Ltd. announced that it will invest in Helical Fusion, which is developing a fusion reactor based on the helical method. Through the investment, Fujikura aims to use its superconducting wire technology as a core component of fusion reactors and accelerate their commercial deployment. The investment is intended to help establish an industrial base for commercialization.
Helical Fusion is a company based on research成果 from the National Institute for Fusion Science of the National Institutes of Natural Sciences. It uses the helical method, which employs spiral magnets, and is described as being well suited to achieving stable operation over extended periods. The performance of the spiral magnets that generate the magnetic field depends on Fujikura's rare-earth high-temperature superconducting wire technology, developed over many years.
High-temperature superconducting wire can maintain zero resistance at liquid-nitrogen temperatures and is said to be capable of maintaining its critical current even in ultra-high magnetic fields. Following the investment, Fujikura is considering technical cooperation from the fusion reactor design stage, in addition to supplying materials, with the aim of realizing the technology as next-generation infrastructure.
The partnership, looking ahead to commercial reactor operation from the 2030s onward, includes strengthening the energy supply infrastructure to meet rising electricity demand associated with the growth of AI data centers. The combination of advanced technology from a materials manufacturer and innovative design from a startup is raising expectations that Japan's fusion industry will lead the global energy transformation.