Japanese start-up Helical Fusion has signed a procurement agreement with Fuji Electric for power supply systems for high-temperature super-conducting (HTS) magnets.
The fusion reactor being developed by Helical Fusion is based on the stellarator design. The concept builds on nearly 70 years of global research, particularly at Japan’s National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS) that hosts the Large Helical Device (LHD), one of the world’s most advanced stellarator facilities. The company was founded in 2021 by Takaya Taguchi, a former banker, and two scientists from NIFS.
The procured systems will first be used in Helix Haruka, a testbed device scheduled to integrate key technologies around 2030. These same systems are also intended for future deployment in Helix Kanata, Helical Fusion’s flagship device planned for commercial power generation in the 2030s.
From the perspective of both fundamental science and engineering, the company has already overcome most of the hurdles to practical implementation. However, one of the final and most critical remaining challenges is the development of HTS magnets capable of generating the strong, precise magnetic fields required to confine fusion plasma.
HTS magnets also have potential applications beyond fusion, including aerospace and ultra-efficient power transmission. Helical Fusion’s HTS magnet development programme was selected for Japan’s SBIR Phase 3 grant for approximately $13m in 2023.
Operating these magnets requires highly specialised power systems capable of delivering extremely large currents (tens of thousands of amperes) at low voltage, with high speed and precision. Fuji Electric will supply power equipment and peripheral systems that meet the specifications for both Helix Haruka and the future Helix Kanata. The ability to procure such systems from a trusted, proven partner is a key pillar supporting the Helix Programme’s pathway to commercial fusion.
