Fusion Energy
The physics of achieving net energy gain from fusion reactions. After 70 years of research, ignition has been achieved - the race to commercial power is on.
Why Fusion Changes Everything
Deuterium from seawater, lithium for tritium breeding. Enough fuel for billions of years. No mining, no geopolitics.
Fusion produces helium, not CO2. A single plant could power a city with zero greenhouse gas emissions.
No chain reaction possible. If containment fails, plasma instantly cools and reactions stop. No meltdown risk.
No long-lived radioactive waste. Activated materials decay to safe levels in ~100 years, not millennia.
Key Milestones
JET Achieves 16 MW
Joint European Torus produces 16 megawatts of fusion power, a record that stood for 24 years.
JET Breaks Own Record
JET produces 59 megajoules of sustained fusion energy over 5 seconds, doubling the 1997 record.
NIF Achieves Ignition
National Ignition Facility produces 3.15 MJ from 2.05 MJ of laser input - the first fusion experiment to achieve energy gain (Q > 1).
ITER First Plasma (Planned)
The world's largest tokamak targets first plasma, designed to produce 500 MW from 50 MW input (Q = 10).
Confinement Approaches
The Physics
The fourth state of matter - ionized gas where electrons are stripped from nuclei. Must be heated to 100+ million degrees Celsius for fusion.
The conditions needed for fusion: plasma density × confinement time × temperature must exceed a threshold for net energy gain.
Ratio of fusion power output to heating power input. Q > 1 means net energy gain. NIF achieved Q ≈ 1.5 in December 2022.
D + T → He-4 (3.5 MeV) + neutron (14.1 MeV). The easiest fusion reaction to achieve, requiring the lowest temperature.
Using powerful magnetic fields to contain plasma, since no material can withstand 100 million degree temperatures.
Lithium surrounding the reactor that absorbs neutrons to produce tritium fuel. Essential for fuel self-sufficiency.
Private Fusion Race
Over $6 billion in private investment is accelerating fusion development beyond government programs.
| Company | Funding | Approach | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth Fusion Systems | $2B+ | Compact tokamak (SPARC) | Demo by 2025 |
| TAE Technologies | $1.2B+ | Field-reversed configuration | Commercial by 2030s |
| Helion Energy | $577M | Pulsed field-reversed | Demo by 2024 |
| General Fusion | $300M+ | Magnetized target | Pilot plant by 2025 |
| Tokamak Energy | $250M+ | Spherical tokamak | Commercial by 2030s |
Essential Reading
The landmark paper documenting the first controlled fusion experiment to achieve energy gain.
Read MoreOfficial documentation for the world's largest fusion experiment, a collaboration of 35 nations.
Read MoreIndustry group tracking private fusion companies and their progress toward commercialization.
Read MoreThe Energy Transition
Fusion represents the ultimate energy source - safe, clean, and virtually unlimited. We're tracking every breakthrough.