Japan

Japanese Firm Proposes 'Luna Ring' Moon-Based Solar Power System

Is the Luna Ring humanity's boldest clean energy breakthrough or an unachievable trillion-dollar fantasy?

Published MAR 24

Japanese Firm Proposes 'Luna Ring' Moon-Based Solar Power System

Story

Above: Concept of the "Luna Ring" proposed by Japanese construction firm Shimizu Corporation. Image credit: Aaron 泰山/X

The Facts

Shimizu Corporation, a Japanese engineering firm, has proposed the Luna Ring — a belt of solar panels stretching roughly 6,800 miles around the Moon's equator and about 250 miles wide — designed to beam clean energy back to Earth.
The WatchMan on X
Shimizu Corporation
Daily Galaxy
The Luna Ring concept was first developed before Japan's 2011 Fukushima disaster, but the earthquake and tsunami that crippled the nuclear facility renewed interest in alternative energy sources and drew fresh attention to the proposal.
Solar Now
El Adelantado
According to Shimizu, the Luna Ring could generate up to 13,000 terawatts of power — far exceeding current global energy consumption of roughly 25 terawatts — with no weather or night cycles to interrupt output.
Doolly Noted
Daily Galaxy
Energy collected by the lunar solar panels would be converted into microwave or laser beams and transmitted to receiving stations on Earth, where it would be converted back into electricity and distributed via power grids.
Daily Galaxy
Alo Japan
Shimizu plans to use remotely operated robots to construct the ring using materials sourced from the lunar surface. The company states that moon sand could be processed into concrete, glass fiber and solar cells, reducing the need to transport materials from Earth.
Money Control
Daily Galaxy
As of 2026, the Luna Ring remains a conceptual project with no committed funding or construction started. Shimizu has targeted 2035 as a potential construction start date, though unresolved challenges include lunar dust, project costs and space law governing lunar land rights.
El Adelantado
Doolly Noted

Sources Split

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The Spin

Techno-optimist narrative

The Luna Ring isn't just a dream — it's the boldest clean energy solution ever conceived, and the world needs to take it seriously. A solar belt around the Moon's equator could generate 13,000 terawatts, dwarfing all current global energy demand while producing zero emissions. Beaming power to Earth via microwave and laser means unlimited clean energy for every nation, forever ending dependence on fossil fuels.

Rohan Paul on X

El Diario 24

Shimizu Corporation

Techno-skeptic narrative

The Luna Ring is a trillion-dollar fantasy that glosses over staggering real-world obstacles. Lunar dust, radiation exposure, precision energy transmission across 384,000 km and decades of maintenance make this project an engineering nightmare with no clear funding path. Until robotics, international law and space infrastructure catch up, treating this concept as a near-term energy solution is dangerously misleading.