Fusion energy industry presses US government for billions in support
At a roundtable with the Department of Energy, the private fusion industry urged officials to invest billions in order to compete with China.
At a roundtable with the Department of Energy, the private fusion industry urged officials to invest billions in order to compete with China.
The extension brings Helical Fusion’s series A funding, including loans, up to US$21 million, and total cumulative fundraising to US$38 million.
Helical Fusion inks new power purchase agreement (PPA) with Aoki Super Co., Ltd., a major regional supermarket chain in central Japan.
American Conservation Coalition President Chris Barnard discusses commercialization breakthroughs in fusion energy.
DW considers Germany’s fusion energy future under the government’s recently-released High Tech Agenda.
Time Magazine discusses why leaders in the AI industry betting big on commercial fusion energy.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright suggested the new partnerships could supercharge DOE research, including on fusion energy.
Helical Fusion has achieved a key milestone in the development of special electromagnets, crucial to the deployment of magnetic confinement fusion.
U.S. Department of Energy releases roadmap for fusion energy to power the grid by the mid-2030s.
Magnetic confinement: Plasma is heated to 100 million °C or more, then squeezed and held in place by strong magnetic fields, allowing many fusion reactions to occur. (Example: tokamaks, stellarators)
Inertial confinement: Tiny fuel pellets are struck by powerful lasers. The outer layer explodes outward, compressing the core to fusion conditions for a few nanoseconds, producing a brief but intense pulse of energy from each pellet. (Example: National Ignition Facility)
Hybrid systems: Combine compression (e.g., from lasers, plasma pistons, or mechanical impact) with moderate magnetic fields to reduce energy losses and improve confinement.
Electrostatic fusion: Uses high electric potentials to accelerate ions toward a central reaction zone, causing them to collide at high energies and fuse. The ions are guided and confined by electric fields rather than magnets, creating a compact environment for fusion reactions.