Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) has acquired a stake in Kyoto Fusioneering Ltd.
Kyoto Fusioneering (KF) is a plant engineering company focused on fusion energy technologies. Its establishment in 2019 was based on decades of fusion research and development by Kyoto University. KF specializes in key components and integrated systems that are required in order to build fusion reactors and fusion power plants. KF’s strategic aim is to build a fusion energy supply chain by leveraging Japan’s leading manufacturing capabilities. Furthermore, KF serves a wide range of fusion research institutions and startups around the world as clients.
Fusion energy can generate electricity without producing any CO2 emissions. Its primary fuel, namely hydrogen, is widely available in seawater, meaning that it could potentially represent an inexhaustible source of energy.
Fusion energy is energy produced when two light nuclei (deuterium, tritium) collide to form a single heavier nucleus (helium), the same kind of energy that illuminates the Sun and stars.
Fusion energy has the following advantages:
• Carbon neutrality(Carbon dioxide is not emitted during the process of power generation)
• Abundant fuel (On top of the fact that the fuel exists abundantly in seawater and can be generated nearly inexhaustibly, a huge amount of energy can be produced from a small amount of fuel);
• Inherently safe (The fusion reaction stops when the fuel supply or the power supply is cut off);
• Low environmental impact (Only low level radioactive waste is generated and it can be processed with existing technology).
Established in 2019, Kyoto Fusioneering is a privately-funded technology startup with facilities in Tokyo, Kyoto, Reading (UK), and Seattle (USA). The company specializes in developing state-of-the-art technologies for commercial fusion reactors, including gyrotron systems, tritium fuel cycle technologies, and breeding blankets for tritium production and power generation.
(Source: Mitsubishi Corporation)