The aim of this page is to document and summerize activities of the various companies and organisations on the forefront of fusion commercialisation.
It’s still a work in progress, but I hope in future it will become something of a useful resource.
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An Argument for Superconducting HVDC Interconnects
Recent years have seen a rapid increase in the availability of REBCO superconducting tapes, commonly referred to as high temperature superconductors (HTS) for their ability to function up to liquid nitrogen temperatures (77K). Current capacity under these conditions is limited however, and much more important particularly in fusion applications is the higher magnetic field tolerance – up to 25T at 20K. For long distance power transmission, 77K operating conditions may be desirable…
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Economics of Thermal Power Conversion
In discussions on the economic viability of Fusion as an energy source, the costs of thermal power conversion are often cited as a limiting factor in the achievable cost of electrcicity. The argument goes that no matter the cost of the fusion reactor, the capital and operating costs of the power conversion (typically a Rankine steam cycle) would still exceed that of renewable sources like wind and solar. The logic of this…
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Helicity Space
Helicity Space is a California based company developing fusion-enhanced ion drives for spacecraft, with the eventual goal of reaching a fully self sustaining fusion engine.
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OpenStar – Levitated Dipole
OpenStar is a New Zealand company formed in 2021 aiming to develop and commercialize the Levitating Dipole reactor.
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First Light Fusion
First Light Fusion is a UK based company using a novel projectile driven inertial confinement approach. The company has demonstrated fusion and hopes to achieve scientific breakeven from 2027.
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Zap Energy
Zap Energy is an american company aiming to commercialise a shear-flow stabilized Z-Pinch. The company has demonstrated fusion at up to 500kA, and expect to reach scientific breakeven at 650kA in their next generation machine.
