(Reuters) - Oil major Chevron Corp (N:CVX) said on Wednesday it is investing in Zap Energy Inc, joining Italy's ENI (MI:ENI) and Norwegian state oil company Equinor (OL:EQNR) who have also backed nuclear fusion startups to reduce their carbon footprint.
Chevron's decision comes as energy companies face increasing pressure from investors to reduce emissions, spend more on low-carbon energy and disclose the impact of their fossil fuel production on climate change.
"Chevron Technology Ventures' investment in fusion is an opportunity to enhance the company's focus on a diverse portfolio of low-carbon energy resources," Chevron said in a statement, without putting a number on the size of its investment.
Nuclear fusion is a process that releases large amounts of energy with no greenhouse gas emissions and limited long-lived radioactive waste.
Zap Energy raised $6.5 million from its Series A financing on July 12, according to data from Crunchbase. (https://