The Naka Fusion Institute of the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology is home to the JT-60SA, a nuclear fusion experiment device.
As competition to develop and commercialise fusion power increases globally, Japan on Friday adopted its first-ever national nuclear fusion strategy, emphasising the need to establish a domestic industry in the area.
The Naka Fusion Institute of the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology is home to the JT-60SA, a nuclear fusion experiment device. Naka is in the Ibaraki Prefecture.
The national nuclear fusion strategy calls for greater private sector involvement in fusion energy research and development because it is thought of as the ultimate source of carbon dioxide-free energy.
The report, created by the Cabinet Office, stated that “we will list as our vision the industrialization of fusion energy, using (the country’s) technological advantage, in order to seize market opportunities.” According to many scientists, it will be decades before fusion energy is commercialised.
They plan to start producing electricity around 2050, with fusion becoming a practical climate solution only in the second half of the century. ITER is a 35-year international research collaboration with the goal of starting fusion tests in 2035. Japan has made significant contributions to ITER.
But over the past few years, the landscape of fusion research has changed drastically, with foreign investors pouring billions of dollars into private-sector initiatives that promise to launch commercial reactors much sooner than ITER.
In light of this, the report recommends that Japan adopt a “multifaceted approach,” which includes developing and promoting domestic fusion energy industries in addition to participating in ITER.
The report notes that Japan has developed technological superiority and dependability in the manufacturing sector, as well as the fundamental research infrastructure and human resource development system that support these advantages.
“On the other hand, Japan is exposed to the risk of merely providing technology but lagging behind in industrialization and subsequently losing market share,” says the report. According to the plan, the government will create a fusion industry council by March of the following year to promote the sector’s businesses and create standards for fusion technology security.
According to the report, Japan will also quicken industry-academic cooperation, with the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, or QST, playing a key role.
In order to develop experts in the field, the government will also prioritise fusion energy education at domestic universities. In addition, it will work to recruit talent from similar institutions abroad and from other academic fields.