In a push for clean energy, Mitsubishi Corporation is making a significant investment in Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS). CFS is a startup company from MIT that is trying to commercialize fusion energy. CFS plans to build the world’s first commercial nuclear fusion plant, called the ARC plant, in Virginia. Fusion energy is a clean and nearly limitless power source, but scientists have long struggled to get it to the commercial market.

Mitsubishi and a consortium of 12 other companies share the drive to make that possible.

Investing in a New Era of Fusion Energy

According to the companies involved, the investment is less about funding and more about bringing the same process that powers the Sun to the commercial market.

Fusion energy occurs when light nuclei collide to generate power without carbon emissions. The fuel source is seawater, making it almost impossible to run out. Fusion is now seen as a key solution for reducing carbon emissions and ensuring long-term energy stability.

CFS has become a major player in the private fusion sector. The company’s goal to build the world’s first commercial fusion power plant is bold. It plans to start generating electricity in Chesterfield County, Virginia, as early as the 2030s. While the goal is ambitious, the startup has gained support from tech giant Google. Before the Mitsubishi investment, CFS secured a power purchase agreement with Google for 200 megawatts of electricity from the future plant.

Mitsubishi’s involvement, however, allows the company to gain hands-on technical and business expertise from CFS’s projects in the U.S. According to the Mitsubishi Corporation, this includes everything from development and construction to operating and maintaining the ARC plant. Ultimately, each company aims to share its knowledge and speed up the commercialization of fusion energy.

The partnership is part of a broader joint effort between Japan and the U.S., which hopes to strengthen and grow the commitment to making fusion a reality.