OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (WATE) — A Japanese fusion technology company is investing $46.9 million and creating 51 new jobs as it moves its United States headquarters to Oak Ridge.
Kyoto Fusioneering’s move to Anderson County was driven by its partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the region’s current nuclear ecosystem. The investment centers on developing UNITY-3, a first-of-its-kind fusion test facility to be built at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, through a public-private partnership announced earlier this year.
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“By anchoring our operations here, we are doing more than expanding KF—we are building the critical, commercial-scale testing infrastructure and robust supply chains that the entire fusion industry needs to scale. We are incredibly grateful for the welcoming business climate fostered by TNECD and the State of Tennessee, whose support makes this landmark investment possible,” said Bibake Uppal, president, Kyoto Fusioneering America.
KF started operations in Japan in 2019. The Department of Economic and Community Development explained that the company is now the premier global developer of fusion infrastructure, technology and integrated systems. Its UNITY-3 facility will use a deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion neutron source to test how well tritium can be produced and how it performs under real fusion-nuclear conditions. Its data will help the industry design commercial fusion power plants.
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Their move to Tennessee comes as the state aims to attract more nuclear energy development to the state. The Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council, started in 2023, helped bring 11 major nuclear energy industry projects, $7 billion in investment, and 2,000 new jobs to the state, according to Governor Bill Lee…