Japanese construction company Hazama Ando Corp. is joining a project to build the world’s first nuclear fusion power plant, aiming to commercialize the technology that replicates the power-generating process of the sun. The contractor will provide its engineering expertise and technological capabilities, gained from a broad portfolio of large-scale civil engineering and construction projects, to help bring the first commercial fusion power plant into operation in the 2030s.

Hazama Ando enters the initiative as a partner of Helical Fusion Co., Ltd., a Tokyo-based startup developing fusion energy technologies. Kazuhiko Kuniya, President of Hazama Ando, and CEO of Helical Fusion Takaya Taguchi held a joint press conference in Tokyo on July 6 to outline their joint business vision. The two companies are collaborating under the "Helix Program," a flagship initiative led by Helical Fusion to achieve practical power generation using fusion technology. Having previously entered into a capital and business alliance, the two companies formally signed a basic agreement on the same day.

Under the Helix Program, manufacturing and construction are underway for a final demonstration device measuring 4 to 5 meters in diameter, located on the premises of the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS) in Toki, Gifu Prefecture. Plans are also under consideration to relocate the device ahead of its targeted operational launch around 2030.

The initial commercial power plant targeted for operation in the 2030s is envisioned to feature a reactor apparatus approximately 30 meters in diameter—roughly 7 to 10 times the size of the final demonstration unit.

Hazama Ando will contribute technical expertise and operational know-how accumulated through power and energy infrastructure projects. Key areas of contribution include radiation shielding, seismic isolation, and land acquisition and negotiations.

"We will contribute to the realization of fusion energy and work toward building a prosperous future," President Kuniya stated during the press conference. (2026/07/07)