Japan Reimagines Global Energy With Proposed 6,800-Mile Solar Power Belt Encircling the Moon

Discover the Shimizu Corporation's ambitious Luna Ring project, a 6,800-mile lunar solar belt designed to beam endless clean energy to Earth via lasers.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 6, 2026, 12:56 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Daily Galaxy

The Vision for an Interstellar Power Grid

A bold proposal from the Japanese construction firm Shimizu Corporation suggests a radical solution to Earth’s energy crisis: the construction of a 6,800-mile belt of solar panels around the Moon’s equator. Known as the Luna Ring, the project aims to capture uninterrupted sunlight, which is significantly more potent in space than on Earth. According to Shimizu, solar arrays positioned on the lunar surface could generate twenty times the energy of equivalent terrestrial systems because the Moon lacks an atmosphere and weather patterns that typically obstruct solar collection.

Transmitting Lunar Energy to Terrestrial Grids

The logistical framework of the Luna Ring involves converting captured solar energy into electricity, which is then moved via cables to the side of the Moon facing Earth. From there, the energy would be transformed into microwave beams and high-energy lasers to be transmitted across 238,855 miles of space. On the ground, specialized antennas known as rectennas would capture these beams and convert them back into electricity for the public grid. Beyond immediate power needs, the proposal suggests using this energy to produce hydrogen fuel, supporting a global transition toward a hydrogen-based society.

Robotic Construction and Resource Harvesting

Building the Luna Ring would rely almost exclusively on tele-operated robots controlled from Earth to minimize the risks to human astronauts. These machines would perform complex tasks such as ground leveling, excavation, and the assembly of solar equipment. To reduce the immense cost of transporting materials from Earth, the plan involves manufacturing concrete, ceramics, and even the solar cells themselves directly from lunar soil. This "in-situ" resource utilization would be led by self-propelled production plants moving along the lunar equator to install the belt, which could reach widths of up to 400 kilometers.