Helical Fusion Named a Final Candidate for Japan’s METI Fusion Power Demonstration Program

Milestone-based government program supports multiple fusion approaches toward power demonstration and commercialization

TOKYO, September 01, 2026--Helical Fusion Co., Ltd., a fusion energy company developing a Helical Stellarator toward commercially viable fusion power, has been named a final candidate for Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) program supporting the demonstration of fusion power generation.

The program is designed to accelerate fusion power demonstration in the 2030s under Japan's national energy and fusion strategies. It supports private-sector technology development across multiple fusion approaches, including tokamak, stellarator and laser fusion, with approximately JPY 60 billion in total government support anticipated over the three years through 2028.
The amount to be awarded to Helical Fusion will be announced following the formal grant decision.

For Helical Fusion, the selection represents an important step in advancing the Helix Program, its development roadmap toward fusion power generation in the 2030s.

Japan Accelerates Fusion from Research toward Industrial Deployment

Japan has strengthened its commitment to fusion energy as both a next-generation energy source and a strategic industry.

Under Japan's national fusion strategy, the government aims to achieve fusion power demonstration in the 2030s while encouraging the development of multiple technological approaches. The METI program supports private-sector developers pursuing this goal through a milestone-based framework, under which progress is evaluated against defined technical and commercialization objectives.

The program calls for projects not only to demonstrate the technical feasibility of fusion power generation, but also to establish fundamental knowledge required for future commercial power plants. Safety, appropriate safety measures and engagement with host communities are also incorporated into the framework.

Against this backdrop, Helical Fusion is advancing a development strategy centered on the requirements that ultimately determine whether fusion can function as a power plant: steady-state operation, net electricity generation and maintainability.

Why Helical Fusion Is Pursuing the Stellarator

Helical Fusion is developing a Helical Stellarator, building on approximately 70 years of Helical Stellarator research and engineering in Japan.

Unlike pulsed approaches, the Helical Stellarator is designed for inherently steady-state operation. Helical Fusion believes this architecture offers a credible path toward simultaneously achieving the three requirements essential for commercially viable fusion power: