Japan Selects Four Industry-Led Projects to Support Fusion Power Demonstration in the 2030s
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has selected four finalist private-sector fusion projects for its program aimed at supporting fusion power generation demonstration in the 2030s. The selection marks a step in Japan’s efforts to accelerate commercial deployment, building on the goals outlined in the country’s national fusion strategy.
The program is expected to provide approximately JPY 60 billion in government support over the coming three years through 2028. Funding will be distributed through a milestone-based framework, under which progress is evaluated against defined technical and commercialization objectives. Reflecting Japan’s broader strategy to pursue fusion power generation across a range of technologies, the program awardees span laser, tokamak, and stellarator approaches.
Four private-sector projects are selected for conditional adoption, which is expected to be finalized in as early as October. The selected projects are:
- EX-Fusion — FIA member: A continuous-operation demonstration project integrating core technologies for laser fusion power generation, in consortium with Hamamatsu Photonics.
- Helical Fusion — FIA member: Development and demonstration of fusion power generation using the stellarator approach.
- LINEA Innovation: Development of a demonstration platform using a beam-supported field-reversed configuration (FRC) approach.
- Starlight Engine: A high-temperature superconducting tokamak power generation demonstration project, in consortium with FIA member Kyoto Fusioneering.
Next steps: The selections are conditional rather than final awards. Each project has been notified of conditions that must be addressed before the review committee confirms formal adoption and a grant decision. Individual funding allocations have not yet been finalized.
