Japanese fusion energy startup Helical Fusion Co., Ltd. has begun Phase 1 of Helix Haruka, its integrated demonstration device, by announcing its construction site. This sets in motion Helical’s plans to conduct energization tests by 2027.
With increasing global energy demand, there is also a need to develop new sources that can deliver abundant energy without increasing carbon emissions. Nuclear fusion is one such promising technology that is both abundant and carbon-free. Unlike its fission counterpart, nuclear fusion does not generate large amounts of radioactive waste, which has prompted further interest in its development.
Founded in 2021, Tokyo-based Helical Fusion is a spin-off from the National Institute of Fusion Science (NIFS), a leading public research institute in the field. NIFS operates the Large Helical Device (LHD), the world’s foremost large-scale plasma experimental research facility for the stellarator approach to nuclear fusion.
NIFS and Helical Fusion have a unique public-private partnership to advance fusion energy research and make it commercially viable, a press release said.
Stellarator approach
Most fusion energy startups worldwide are hoping to succeed using the tokamak approach. Here, the reactor vessel is shaped like a donut and uses intense magnetic fields to confine superheated plasma, enabling fusion reactions.
Helical Fusion uses the stellarator approach, which also employs magnetic confinement but relies on a twisted torus-shaped vacuum vessel for plasma containment.
Through the LHD, NIFS has sustained plasma for 3,268 seconds (54 minutes and 28 seconds), demonstrating know-how for long-hour operations, which will be necessary if fusion research has to deliver energy at commercial scales.
Irrespective of the vessel design, the magnet is the core technology that shapes performance, reliability, and the technology’s eventual cost. As part of its first phase, Helical Fusion will assemble a non-planar helical high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet and validate its performance as a system.
Helical Fusion’s plans
For its integrated demonstration plant, Helical has chalked out three phases. In the first phase, it will test its magnet system, while in the second phase, it will demonstrate the integration of the magnet and core subsystems.
The integration will also involve Helical’s power-generating system, the Helix Kanata; however, no power generation will be attempted. Instead, the third phase is scheduled to demonstrate practical power generation, including net-electric operation, steady-state operation, and maintainability, the press release added.
While the locations of phases 2 and 3 have not yet been revealed, Helical took a major step towards the realization of Phase 1 with the recent announcement. The recognized state is a dedicated workspace for NIFS and Helical to work together, located on the NIFS campus.
Helical has begun manufacturing and site build-out as it prepares to conduct coil current experiments in 2027. Leveraging NIFS’ research capacities, Helical is handling the hardware buildout with industrial partners to accelerate the engineering innovation.
Together, the two organizations have built a build-and-test loop, which is yet another example of Japan-style public-private partnership aimed at commercializing fusion energy.