Photo/Illutration An artist’s rendition of Helical Fusion Co.’s “helical fusion reactor” (Provided by Helical Fusion Co.)

An energy-related startup and a supermarket operator have signed what they say is the first contract in Japan to sell and buy electricity generated from nuclear fusion.

The agreement was reached between Helical Fusion Co., a company aiming to develop nuclear fusion energy, and Nagoya-based Aoki Super Co., which operates about 50 stores in Aichi Prefecture.

“As a company handling groceries, we are aware of the severe impact climate change is having on agricultural and marine products,” Masayuki Kono, Aoki Super’s managing director, told a news conference in Nagoya on Dec. 8. “We hope that interest from power consumers can create a virtuous cycle that accelerates the commercialization of nuclear fusion.”

While global competition is intensifying over the next-generation energy source, so far no one has succeeded in generating electricity from nuclear fusion.

Helical Fusion, which traces its roots to the National Institute for Fusion Science, has set a goal of producing tens of megawatts of nuclear fusion power as early as the mid-2030s.

Aoki Super has high expectations for carbon-free energy sources and invested in Helical Fusion in July.

“We are grateful for (Aoki Super’s) intention to use our electricity,” Takaya Taguchi, chief executive officer of Helical Fusion, said. “We are determined to win the race and demonstrate power generation.”

Helical Fusion has yet to disclose where the reactor for power generation will be located. The company said it will proceed with consultations with local governments and other parties.

Nuclear fusion, often called “the sun on Earth,” replicates the reactions in which atomic nuclei fuse inside the sun.

It is also a policy priority for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

The technology is attracting attention as a decarbonized energy source because its fuel, such as hydrogen isotopes, could potentially be sourced from seawater.

With advances in artificial intelligence driving electricity demand, Microsoft, Google and other companies have signed power purchase agreements with U.S. nuclear fusion startups.

In Japan, too, several startups are aiming to achieve the world’s first commercial power generation from nuclear fusion. 

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