Helical Fusion Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; “Helical Fusion”), a company developing a commercially viable Helical Stellarator power plant under its “Helix Program”, has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Aoki Super Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Aichi, Japan; “Aoki Super”), a major regional supermarket chain in central Japan.
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Takaya Taguchi (left), CEO of Helical Fusion Co., Ltd. , and Masayuki Kono (right) Managing Director and Head of Administration Division of Aoki Super Co., Ltd. at the press conference held on December 8, 2025
This marks the first fusion-energy PPA ever signed in Japan, representing a concrete step forward in the real-world adoption of fusion energy and signaling growing demand-side engagement in the emerging fusion energy value chain.
Significance of This Agreement
Fusion energy—generated by reproducing on Earth the same nuclear fusion reactions that power the sun—is widely expected as a high-efficiency, sustainable energy source. Since the concept was proposed in the 1930s, global attention has focused primarily on the scientific and technical challenges of realizing fusion. However, for fusion to become part of real-world energy infrastructure, the presence of customers willing to procure fusion-generated electricity and to integrate it into their long-term decarbonization strategies is essential.
Under the Helix Program, Helical Fusion begins with a simple premise: fusion must function as a reliable power source. Working backward from this goal, the company defined three non-negotiable requirements—steady-state operation, net electricity, and maintainability—and selected the Helical Stellarator as the only design capable of meeting all three with existing technology. Helical Fusion’s approach is grounded in over 60 years of Japanese national fusion research, enabling the company to outline a credible technical pathway to continuous, net-electricity operation.
The newly signed PPA demonstrates that this development plan has been concretely evaluated by a real electricity consumer: Aoki Super, which requires large amounts of electricity every day to operate its store networks. Both companies share the view that fusion energy can underpin environmentally responsible retail operations that support everyday life.
The agreement is also an important milestone for the Helix Program, whose distinctive strength lies in mobilizing Japan’s entire industrial value chain—from advanced manufacturing to end-users—to accelerate the realization of fusion energy.
About Aoki Super Co., Ltd.
Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Nagoya, Aoki Super operates 50 community-based supermarkets across Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As a food retailer operating electricity-intensive stores, the company views climate change—such as shifting agricultural production regions and rising seawater temperatures affecting marine resources—as a critical challenge.
In July 2025, as part of its long-term commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, Aoki Super made a strategic investment in Helical Fusion.
About Helical Fusion Co., Ltd.
Helical Fusion is a Japan-based fusion company developing the world’s first commercially viable, net-electricity fusion power plant, leveraging the Helical Stellarator and inheriting more than 60 years of national fusion research.
To date, Helical Fusion has raised JPY 5.2 billion (≈ USD 34 million) in equity funding, bringing its cumulative fundraising—including grants and loans—to approximately USD 38 million (≈ JPY 6.0 billion).
About the Helix Program
The Helix Program targets the launch of the world’s first commercially viable fusion power plant in the 2030s through its Fusion Pilot Plant, Helix KANATA. The program defines three essential requirements for commercially viable fusion power:
Steady-state operation: 24/7/365 stable performance
Net electricity output: generating more energy than it consumes
Maintainability: regular, efficient component maintenance
The Helical Stellarator is uniquely capable of meeting all three criteria with existing technologies. The Helix Program aims to be the world’s first initiative to realize all of these requirements by the 2030s.
Company Details
- Business: Development of commercial fusion reactors and related technologies
- Founded: October 2021
- Website: https://www.helicalfusion.com/en
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HelicalFusion
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