Helical Fusion is developing a commercial power plant based on a helical stellarator design that aims for steady-state operation, net electricity output, and maintainable systems using technologies derived from more than six decades of Japanese fusion research. The company selected the helical stellarator configuration because it considers this approach suitable for continuous net-electricity generation with currently available technology.
The agreement with Aoki Super is described as the first fusion-energy power purchase contract in Japan and is presented as an example of a real electricity consumer evaluating a fusion development plan. Aoki Super operates 50 community-based supermarkets that use substantial electricity, and the companies share the view that fusion power can support store networks that seek lower emissions while maintaining daily retail services.
Helical Fusion positions the deal as a milestone for the Helix Program, which focuses on connecting the Japanese industrial value chain, from advanced manufacturing to end users, to speed up the introduction of fusion-generated electricity. The company plans to advance from present development work to its Fusion Pilot Plant, known as Helix KANATA, during the 2030s, targeting the launch of what it describes as a commercially viable fusion power plant.
Aoki Super was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Nagoya, with its stores concentrated in Aichi Prefecture. The company identifies climate change, including shifts in agricultural production regions and rising seawater temperatures that affect marine resources, as a key risk for its food retail business and has taken steps to link its operations to lower-carbon energy sources.
In July 2025 Aoki Super made a strategic investment in Helical Fusion as part of a broader sustainability strategy. This investment preceded the PPA and aligned the supermarket operator as both a shareholder and a future customer for fusion-generated electricity.
Helical Fusion describes itself as a Japan-based fusion company working toward the first commercially viable net-electricity fusion power plant using a helical stellarator configuration. The company reports total equity funding of about 5.2 billion yen, or roughly 34 million US dollars, and total fundraising of about 38 million US dollars, including grants and loans.
The Helix Program sets out three core conditions for a commercial fusion plant: round-the-clock steady-state operation, net electricity output, and maintainability that allows regular, efficient component servicing. Helical Fusion states that its helical stellarator concept can satisfy these requirements with existing technologies and that the Helix KANATA pilot plant is intended to be the first project to meet all three by the 2030s.
Related Links
Helical Fusion Co., Ltd.
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com
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