There is a great deal of research being carried out to generate power with nuclear fusion reactors. Many countries have fusion projects and there are claims that commercial power nuclear fusion plants may be in operation by 2030. Japan has now announced that it will be part of the intense competition to harness nuclear fusion for power generation.
A Japanese venture plans to construct the first experimental plant in the country to generate power through nuclear fusion. The company said that the technology is drawing attention as a new way to produce energy without emitting carbon dioxide.
Kyoto Fusioneering Ltd (KFL) is a startup based in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture. It intends to start operating the plant in the next five years. They have already procured some of the necessary funds and started work on the design of the plant. Taka Nagao is the CEO of KFL.
The experimental KFL plant will be equipped with a heat exchanger and a turbine in addition to a reactor that generates thermal energy to produce a small amount of electricity. Experimental reactors dedicated to proving the feasibility of nuclear fusion for power generation already exist in Japan. Nagao said, “a plant that actually generates power is rare even on a global basis.”
The venture is being partially funded by an investment firm established by Kyoto University. The firm was launched in 2019 led by Nagao and Satoshi Konishi who is a professor at the Institute of Advanced Energy of Kyoto University.
The new investment firm develops equipment for nuclear fusion reactors. This equipment includes a key device the effectively collects heat with a temperature of over two hundred million degrees Fahrenheit.
The venture has already raised eleven million dollars and intends to raise a total twenty-five million dollars. Sources of funds include an investment fund connected to the state-backed fund Japan Investment Corporation. It also intends to seek funds from megabanks such as MUFG Bank. The venture will hold discussions with the central government and municipalities in the future in order to work out details which will include finding a location to construct the plant.
Fusion power generation converts the energy created by fusing light nuclei to electricity. Unlike nuclear power generation that involves fission chain reactions, fusion power is consider safer and does not produce highly radioactive nuclear waste like nuclear fission power plants.
Fusion energy recently attracted global attention as the U.S. nuclear fusion startup Commonwealth Fusion Systems secured funds last year from Bill Gates as well as Google.
The Japanese government also encourages the research and development of fusion energy as a means to secure clean energy to cope with global warming. It plans to set up a panel of experts in the near future to enhance support for the move.
Before the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, Japan was dedicated to nuclear power. Following the disaster, Japan shut down all nuclear reactors. Some are being restarted but many will be closed permanently. Japan appears to believe that switch to fusion power will be a better choice for power generation.