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MOL Joins Japanese Consortium Investing in U.S.-Based Commonwealth Fusion Systems
- Company Developing a Commercial-scale Fusion Reactor -
September 02, 2025
TOKYO-Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto) today announced that as part of a consortium of 12 Japanese companies (Note 1), MOL Switch LLC (Note 2) (CEO: Tomoaki Ichida, Headquarters: California, U.S.), MOL's wholly owned subsidiary formed to invest in decarbonization technologies, has invested in Commonwealth Fusion Systems LLC (CFS; CEO: Bob Mumgaard; Headquarters: Massachusetts, U.S.), a fusion (Note 3) energy company.
CFS is the world's leading and largest private fusion company, utilizing the magnetic confinement system (tokamak type) (Note 4). The company announced plans to build the world's first commercial fusion power plant "ARC" in Virginia in the United States, with the intent of commencing operations in the early 2030s.
The Japanese Consortium will acquire technical and commercial expertise in policy, regulatory, and the development, construction, operation, and maintenance of ARC from CFS's commercialization projects in the United States. In addition, each consortium will bring together its know-how and expertise and aspire to expedite the commercialization and industrialization of fusion energy power generation in Japan.
The collaboration between the Japanese Consortium and CFS is in line with the Japan - U.S. joint partnership to accelerate the development and commercialization of fusion energy power generation in Japan and the United States, and represents a strong commitment and growing momentum toward the early realization of commercialization in both countries.
The MOL Group aims to become a social infrastructure company under the "BLUE ACTION 2035" management plan, and plans to strengthen non-shipping areas and proactively invest in these fields. Furthermore, it has set a group-wide target of achieving net zero GHG emissions by 2050 in the "MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.2." Through its investment in CFS, the group will pursue collaboration with stakeholders-including relevant industries-and work toward the early realization and industrialization of fusion energy power generation. By securing a stable supply of the electricity required to manufacture clean fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia through fusion energy and other means, the MOL Group aims to contribute to the widespread adoption and expansion of clean energy, ultimately supporting the realization of a decarbonized society.
[Outline of CFS]
| Company name | Commonwealth Fusion Systems LLC |
|---|---|
| Location | Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Established | 2018 |
| Representative | Bob Mumgaard (CEO) |
| Website | https://cfs.energy/ |
(Note 1) Japanese companies participating in the consortium in addition to MOL: Mitsui & Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Corporation, Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc., JERA Co., Ltd., JGC Corporation, Development Bank of Japan Inc., NTT Inc., Fujikura Ltd., Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited, Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.
(Note 2) For more information on MOL Switch, please refer to the May 31, 2023, press release: MOL has established 'MOL Switch' in the USA, to invest in decarbonization technologies.
(Note 3) Fusion is a fundamentally different technology from nuclear fission. Under immense pressure and high temperatures, hydrogen atoms fuse together, releasing enormous amounts of energy. Moreover, because the fuel can be extracted from seawater, fusion represents an effectively inexhaustible onshore energy source. And since it does not emit greenhouse gases, it holds the potential to fundamentally address both energy and environmental challenges.
(Note 4) A torus-shaped fusion energy device that uses a strong magnetic field to confine ultra-high temperature plasma.
MOL Group 5 Sustainability Issues
MOL Group identifies "Sustainability Issues" (Materiality) as our key issues for sustainable growth with society through realization of the Group Vision.
We anticipate this initiative to contribute especially to the realization of "Environment -Conservation for Marine and global environment-" and "Innovation -Innovation for development in marine technology-."
