- U.S DOE Awards $107 Million for Fusion Innovation Research
- UK Gov’t Commits £410 to Nuclear Fusion
- Shortlist Announced for UK’s STEP’s Fusion Industry Partners
- UK Invests in Fusion Fuel Development
- Commonwealth Fusion Systems to Build 1st Commercial Fusion Power Plant in Virginia
- United States and Thailand Sign Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement
- Singapore, US Agree to Civil Nuclear Cooperation
- Newcleo Joint Venture Aims to Develop Slovakia Units
- Fermi Energia Plans to Develop A 600 Mw Nuclear Power Plant In Estonia
U.S DOE Awards $107 Million for Fusion Innovation Research
- DOE Funding will Support Acceleration of Commercial Fusion Energy
The agency also said that several privately funded fusion companies have completed early critical-path science and technology (S&T) milestones in the Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program.
- Prior Coverage on this blog
DOE Wants to Fund Fusion to Get Up a Head of Steam
Both programs, administered by DOE’s Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program in the Office of Science, are cornerstones of DOE’s fusion strategy to accelerate the viability of commercial fusion energy.
Total anticipated funding for FIRE collaboratives is $180 million for projects lasting up to four years. Additional awards drawing from the same pool of proposals may be made in the future. These funding awards are contingent on the availability of funds appropriated by Congress.
“The launch of the DOE Milestone Program and FIRE Collaboratives are critical steps in accelerating progress toward the U.S. Bold Decadal Vision for Commercial Fusion Energy,” said Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk.
“As the world races to make fusion a viable source of energy for industry and consumers, these programs signal that the U.S. intends to be the first to commercialize fusion energy through strong partnerships among our national laboratories, universities, and the private sector to realize industry-led designs for fusion pilot plants.”
FIRE Collaboratives Project Selections
The FIRE Collaboratives are aimed at creating a fusion energy S&T innovation ecosystem by forming virtual, centrally managed teams called “Collaboratives” that have a collective goal of bridging FES’s basic science research programs with the needs of the growing fusion industry, including the activities supported under the Milestone Program.
This initiative represents a significant step forward in FES’s commitment to advancing fusion energy research and development, and aims to create new economic opportunities, maintain US leadership in fusion, bolster US-based manufacturing and supply chains, and enable the development of technologies crucial for national security, energy security, and defense.
FES announced the first awards for the FIRE Collaboratives that support materials and technologies required by a diverse set of fusion concepts. They include;
- Developing nuclear blanket testing capabilities at Idaho National Laboratory,
- Materials development at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville,
- Materials testing and advanced simulation capabilities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
- Target injector technology for inertial fusion energy concepts, and fusion fuel-cycle testing capabilities at Savannah River National Laboratory.
Progress in the Milestone Program
The DOE Milestone Program is modeled in part after the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program (PDF file). With relatively modest federal investments, the COTS program enables private companies to meet early technical milestones on the way to building today’s commercial space-launch industry.
Analogous to the earlier NASA COTS program, privately funded fusion companies in the DOE Milestone Program pursue both S&T and business/commercialization milestones (mutually negotiated with DOE). They receive federal payments after DOE verifies completion of each milestone through independent, expert review.
The private company provides greater than 50% (in many cases much greater than 50%) of the cost to meet milestones. The company benefits both through the non-dilutive capital it receives from the government as well as through DOE’s validation of milestone completion, which are both helpful for subsequent private fundraising. (See examples of non-dilutive capital here.)
The Milestone Program acts as a catalyst, where strategic federal investments are significantly amplified with follow-on private funding. To date, Milestone awardees have collectively raised over $350 million of new private funding since their selection into the program was announced in May 2023, compared to the $46 million of federal funding initially committed for negotiated milestones.
In other words, for every dollar of federal funding, nearly eight dollars of private sector funding was committed to commercialization of fusion energy projects. To illustrate the point further, assuming the entire funding is equivalent to a large pizza. While DOE is buying the first slice, each private sector recipient of federal funds is buying the other seven slices.
The benefit to the U.S. public is the de-risking of multiple fusion-development paths that have both been peer-reviewed to be technically credible and are aligned with commercial factors and needs.
Specifically, the firms awarded funds in the present DOE Milestone Program are working to resolve critical-path S&T gaps, in partnership with national laboratories and universities, toward realizing preliminary engineering designs for their fusion pilot plants (FPPs). The most aggressive and well-funded of these firms are aiming for successful FPP preliminary-design reviews by the late 2020s to meet the ambitious and aspirational timeline of realizing an operating FPP by the mid-2030s.
S&T Milestones for Fusion Development
Examples of S&T milestones that have been met by companies thus far include the following:
- Computational modeling for a high-gain target design for laser-driven inertial fusion energy (Focused Energy)
- Whole-device modeling of simple mirror equilibria to enable scientific energy gains of at least 5 for the tandem-mirror approach to fusion energy (Realta Fusion)
- Down selection to a family of optimized stellarator equilibria taking into account multiple factors of plasma confinement, stability, and stellarator components and subsystems (Thea Energy)
- Engineering design, prototyping, and operation of a single, high-temperature-superconducting magnet coil that is the building block of Thea Energy’s approach to generating 3-dimensional, optimized stellarator fields using only planar coils (Thea Energy).
Quantitative metrics were required to be met for these milestones. The specific metrics are typically protected information for each of the companies. The other Milestone awardees are Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Tokamak Energy, Type One Energy, Xcimer Energy, and Zap Energy, all of whom are working on their early S&T milestones as well.
All eight awardees are presently working toward presenting pre-conceptual designs and technology roadmaps of their FPP concepts to be completed within the first 18 months of the Milestone program which is roughly late 2025 (18 months into the Milestone Program).
If they successfully meet these milestones, they will proceed into the next phase of the Milestone Program, where all the awardees are planning to build and operate major next-step integrated experiments and/or demonstrate some of the critical underlying technologies for their FPPs. Continued progress in the Milestone program is contingent on Congressional appropriations, successful negotiation of future milestones, and overall successful progress in the program.
The DOE Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program was first authorized in the Energy Act of 2020 and received its first funding appropriation in fiscal year 2022. The program was announced in September 2022 and, following a rigorous merit-review process, eight firms were selected for funding in May 2023. Initially, $46 million has been obligated for the first 18 months of the program. The program is authorized for a total of $415 million through fiscal year 2027 in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022
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UK Gov’t Commits £410 to Nuclear Fusion
- The Funding will Include the Development of the STEP Prototype Fusion Plant in Nottinghamshire, UK, by 2040.
(NucNet contributed to this report) The UK government has promised a record £410 million (€474m, $500m) investment in nuclear fusion to support construction of a prototype fusion power project on the site of an old coal plant in Nottinghamshire, UK.
The government’s objective is to support the rapid development of the UK fusion energy sector. Like the U.S., China, and other countries, the U.K. is in a competitive race to master a technology that will harness the same process that power the sun.
The funding includes the development by 2040 of the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) prototype power plant at the now decommissioned West Burton coal-fired power plant in Nottinghamshire. Also, it will revamp JET , the UK’s earlier effort to produce an advanced tokamak fusion machine at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy in Oxfordshire.
The project, once in operation, will generate net electricity gained relative to energy inputs as well as demonstrate how the plant will be maintained and how it will produce its own fuel. The STEP program is intended to pave the way to commercial fusion power plants in the U.K.
Ed Miliband, the U.K. energy secretary, said the investment of £410 million means that Britain was “now within grasping distance of unlocking the power of the sun.”
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Shortlist Announced for STEP’s Industry Partners
The UK’s program to design and build a prototype fusion energy plant takes one-step closer to securing major industry partners.
UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd (UKIFS) announced the shortlisted organizations competing to become an Engineering Partner and Construction (EPC) Partner for STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production). It is the UK’s program to design and build a prototype fusion energy plant at the West Burton site in Nottinghamshire.
STEP will be delivered by a public-private sector integrated team consisting of UKIFS, with the UK Atomic Energy Agency (UKAEA) as fusion partner along with the engineering and construction partners. These key long-term and strategic partnerships are intended to play a central role in growing a UK-led fusion industry that will stimulate economic growth.
The contracts for STEP’s Engineering and Construction Partners will be worth an initial combined value of hundreds of millions of pounds during the first contract period until 2029. Further phases will continue the long-term collaboration that builds progressively with the program.
The shortlisted organizations for STEP’s Engineering Partner are:
- Celestial JV, consisting of Eni UK Limited as the lead member and AtkinsRealis, Jacobs Clean Energy (now Amentum), Westinghouse and Tokamak Energy as other members.
- Phoenix (UK) Fusion Limited, consisting of Cavendish Nuclear Ltd as the lead member, KBR Ltd and Assystem Energy and Infrastructure Ltd as other members.
The shortlisted organizations for STEP’s Construction Partner are:
- Inovus Infrastructure, consisting of Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering as the lead member and Vinci Construction, AtkinsRealis, Mott Macdonald and WSP as other members.
- ILIOS, consisting of Kier Infrastructure and Overseas as the lead member and Bam Nuttal, Nuvia Limited, AECOM Ltd, Turner and Townsend Infrastructure Ltd and Amanda Levete Architects Ltd as other members.
- Ferrovial Mace JV, consisting of Ferrovial Construction UK Ltd as the lead member and Mace Consult Ltd as the other member.
A crucial part of STEP’s mission is to develop a world-leading fusion supply chain to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of a new technology and emerging industry.
Paul Methven, CEO of UK Industrial Fusion Solutions and Senior Responsible Owner for STEP, said, “The announcement of shortlisted organizations for STEP’s Whole Plant Partners is a critical milestone for our mission to demonstrate fusion energy and development of a world-leading fusion supply chain that unlocks significant industrial and economic opportunities.”
The shortlisted companies will now enter detailed discussions known as ‘competitive dialogue’ with UKIFS as the multi-stage procurement process progresses towards final partner selection in late 2025/early 2026.
A vast range of other opportunities for the broader supply chain will follow the appointment of these strategic partners as each of them will involved in procurement of systems and components to build a fusion machine.
Sometimes described as the ultimate energy source, fusion is based on the same processes that power the Sun and stars. When a mix of two types of hydrogen (deuterium and tritium) are heated to form a plasma that’s 10 times hotter than the core of the Sun, they fuse together to create helium and release huge amounts of energy.
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UK Invests in Fusion Fuel Development
- UKAEA’s Lithium Breeding Tritium Innovation (LIBRTI) Program Announces Significant Steps to Fast-track Fusion Fuel Development.
The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA)’s £200 million Lithium Breeding Tritium Innovation (LIBRTI) program has announced a series of significant steps to advance fusion energy development.
Part of the broader Fusion Futures initiative, LIBRTI focuses on pioneering development of fusion fuel and stimulating fusion industry capacity through international collaboration.
Over its four-year span, the program aims to demonstrate controlled tritium breeding, a critical step for future fusion power plants. As part of this effort, UKAEA intends to purchase a neutron source which will form the backbone of a first-of-a-kind testbed facility to be built at Culham Campus in Oxfordshire. (Map)
In addition to £200 million the UKAEA will also provide £9 million funding for 12 small-scale tritium breeding and digital simulation experiments.
Future fusion power plants rely on two hydrogen isotopes, deuterium and tritium, to produce energy. Deuterium can be readily extracted from seawater. Tritium, however, is scarce in supply, necessitating the development of methods to produce it sustainably. To address this challenge, tritium must be produced (or bred) in a lithium-containing blanket that surrounds the fusion reaction.
This breeder blanket will perform several tasks: (See image and description below)
The neutron source – SHINE Technologies, USA, is expected in 2027 to deliver a 14 mega electron volt (MeV) deuterium-tritium fusion system to provide the LIBRTI neutron source.
John Norton, LIBRTI Director at UKAEA, explains, “The neutron source selected shall provide neutrons of the same energy as those emitted from a fusion machine, enabling LIBRTI to experiment with a wide range of materials and engineering configurations to shape and advance the breeding models required for next step blanket designs.”
Greg Piefer, CEO of SHINE Technologies, said, “Our partnership with UKAEA’s LIBRTI program is a key milestone for fusion energy. Today, our systems are already achieving up to 50 trillion fusion reactions per second, which makes them the world’s brightest steady-state deuterium-tritium neutron sources. These fusion spectrum neutrons are essential to validate tritium breeding materials critical for scalable fusion energy systems.”
Each of the 12 experimental and digital projects is expected to run to March 2026. Each of the outcomes are expected to include new tritium transport models, the development of novel breeder materials and diagnostics, and digital platforms for the testbed facility. This is a complete list of awards winners.
Organizations also included in these projects are Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, DigiLab, ENI, University of Bristol, University of Cambridge University of California Berkeley, University of Illinois Urbana, and University of Oxford.
The Digital Platform
A comprehensive digital strategy for the program has been developed. The digital platform includes a Building Information Management (BIM) System that will work in tandem with a multi-physics simulation model.
This digital platform will enable the program to virtually replicate performance and ensure accurate modelling and optimization for future designs of tritium breeder blanket systems.
Amanda Quadling, Executive Director for Fusion Fundamental Research and Materials Science at UKAEA, and Senior Responsible Owner for LIBRTI, said, “We aim to move from a science experiment to providing the supply chain with the confidence needed to support future fusion power plants. The engineering scale experimental results combined with a robust digital platform offer powerful ways to design and substantiate future breeder systems for industrial use.”
How Does a Breeder Blanket Work?
Conceptual Diagram of a Breeder Blanket
Image: United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA)
Purpose: A breeder blanket is used in fusion energy machines to produce more fuel while also acting as a means of heat exchange, which can later be used to generate electricity. The aim is to produce tritium, the extremely rare fusion fuel, by embedding lithium in the blanket. The lithium will react with neutrons to produce the required tritium.
Position: The breeder blanket surrounds the fusion machines’ core where the fusion events happen.
Fusion: Fusion combines small atoms to make larger atoms (such as helium), releasing a lot of energy.
Fuel production: The breeder blanket contains materials (such as lithium) that absorb the high-energy particles (neutrons) released during the fusion events.
Neutron absorption: When these neutrons hit the lithium in the blanket, they transform it into another fuel called tritium, which can then be used in future fusion events.
Heat absorption: The breeder blanket also absorbs the heat generated from the fusion events.
Radiation shielding: To maintain the integrity of machine components.
Energy conversion: This heat can be used to produce steam, which drives turbines to generate electricity.
Dual role: The breeder blanket helps by both creating more fuel and exchanging the heat released during fusion. This way, the breeder blanket plays a crucial role in making fusion energy a more sustainable and efficient energy source.”
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Commonwealth Fusion Systems to Build 1st Commercial Fusion Power Plant in Virginia
- CFS will independently finance, build, own, and operate the grid-scale fusion power plant in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
- Dominion Energy Virginia will provide non-financial collaboration, including development and technical expertise as well as leasing rights for the proposed site.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), a private fusion company, announced that it will build the world’s first grid-scale commercial fusion power plant at the James River Industrial Park in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
As part of this effort, CFS has reached an agreement with Dominion Energy Virginia to provide non-financial collaboration, including development and technical expertise as well as leasing rights for the proposed site. Dominion Energy Virginia currently owns the proposed site.
CFS conducted a global search for the site of its first commercial fusion power plant, known as ARC, which the company will independently finance, build, own, and operate. ARC will generate about 400 MW of electricity which is enough energy to power large industrial sites or about 150,000 homes.
CFS is currently completing development of its fusion demonstration machine, SPARC, at its headquarters in Devens, MA. SPARC is expected to produce its first plasma in 2026 and net fusion energy shortly after, demonstrating for the first time a commercially relevant design that will produce more power than consumed. SPARC paves the way for ARC, which is expected to deliver power to the grid in the early 2030s.
“This is a historic moment. In the early 2030s, all eyes will be on the Richmond region and more specifically Chesterfield County, Virginia, as the birthplace of commercial fusion energy,” said Bob Mumgaard, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Commonwealth Fusion Systems.
“Commonwealth Fusion Systems is the clear industry leader in advancing the exciting energy potential of fusion,” said Edward H. Baine, President of Dominion Energy Virginia.
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United States and Thailand Sign Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement
On 01/14/25 the United States and the Kingdom of Thailand signed an Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, known as a “123 Agreement” in Bangkok. The 123 Agreement was signed by U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Robert F. Godec and Thailand’s Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation (MHESI) Supamas Isarabhakdi.
Once entered into force, the 123 Agreement will provide a comprehensive framework for peaceful nuclear cooperation with the Kingdom of Thailand, based on a mutual commitment to nuclear nonproliferation. The framework provides the opportunity for the transfer of nuclear material, equipment, including reactors, components, and information for nuclear research and civil nuclear energy production.
The 123 Agreement will enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries on energy security and clean energy and further strengthen our longstanding diplomatic and economic relationships.
Nuclear energy offers a clean energy solution with a stable baseload of power providing affordable, long-term options for critically needed energy. The United States looks forward to developing a robust civil nuclear energy partnership with Thailand in the years to come.
Prior coverage on this blog – VP Harris in Talks with Philippines, Thailand on Nuclear Energy
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Singapore, US Agree to Civil Nuclear Cooperation
- The United States and Singapore have signed an agreement to cooperate on the non-arms deployment of nuclear energy
The joint memorandum of understanding provides a “framework for cooperation and a mutually aligned approach to non-proliferation on civil nuclear issues and for engagement between experts from government, industry, national laboratories and academic institutions. The pact reflects a shared commitment to international standards of civil nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation.
The pact said the agreement “further enhances our cooperation on energy security, promotes the development of zero-carbon baseload power in support of our climate goals, and strengthens our diplomatic and economic relationship.”
The agreement was signed by U.S. Ambassador to Singapore Jonathan Kaplan and Singapore Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary Beh Swan Gin.
The agreement builds on an earlier one that took effect late last year, called the Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, aka a 123 Agreement.
The U.S. State Department said in a press release December 12, 2024, “Through this 123 Agreement and other capacity building initiatives, such as the Foundational Infrastructure for the Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) program, the United States and Singapore intend to further strengthen civil nuclear cooperation to better understand how advanced nuclear energy technologies, including small modular reactors meeting the highest nuclear security, safety, and non-proliferation standards, can potentially support climate goals, while balancing critical energy needs.”
“This will support Singapore’s efforts to understand and evaluate advanced nuclear energy technologies, should viable options emerge.”
Philippine Agreement
In Southeast Asia, besides Singapore, the Philippines has a similar 123 Agreement with the U.S., signed 2023 and put into force 2024.
The Manila-Washington deal allows for the transfer of U.S. nuclear equipment for peaceful uses in the Philippines. In a press statement in November 2023, the U.S. State Dept said, “With access to U.S. material and equipment, the U.S. and the Philippines will be able to work together to deploy advanced new technologies, including small modular reactors, to support climate goals as well as critical energy security and baseload power needs within the Philippines.”
“This agreement also establishes non-proliferation criteria that both governments must uphold such as observing specific standards for covered items used in civil nuclear energy programs, including International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards; physical protection of covered items; and limitations on enriching, reprocessing, and transferring specific items without the other party’s consent.”
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Newcleo Joint Venture Aims To Develop Slovakia Units
(WNN) France-based Newcleo has signed framework agreements with Slovakian companies JAVYS and VUJE which could lead to up to four of its 200 MWe lead-cooled fast reactors at the Bohunice site.
It will also aim to develop a nuclear fuel supply route with French government support, “with the ultimate goal of the reprocessing and use of Slovak Republic spent nuclear fuels and enables long-term multi-recycling as part of a closed fuel cycle.”
The LFR-AS-200 as a fast reactor is designed to use MOX fuel which is a composite of uranium and plutonium produced by reprocessing spent fuel from light water reactors.
The agreement with engineering company VUJE establishes a framework for technical and commercial cooperation, aiming to “leverage VUJE’s decades of experience in nuclear power plant construction and commissioning.” Newclo will be the vendor and the EPC for the project.
According to Paris-headquartered Newcleo’s delivery roadmap, the first non-nuclear pre-cursor prototype of its reactor is expected to be ready by 2026 in Italy, the first reactor operational in France by the end of 2031, while the final investment decision for the first commercial power plant is expected around 2029.
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Fermi Energia Plans To Develop A 600 Mw Nuclear Power Plant In Estonia
The Estonian company Fermi Energia has submitted an application to Estonia’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications for the development of a 600 MW nuclear plant in the country. Specifically, Fermi has applied to start the state spatial planning process for the power plant, which will feature two 300 MW GE Hitachi (GEH) BWRX-300 small modular reactors (SMRs).
It is currently undergoing a Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission pre-licensing Vendor Design Review and a US Nuclear Regulatory Commission pre-application design review.
BWRX-300 is a water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems, based on GEH’s ESBWR boiling water reactor design and licensing. Fermi Energia plans to submit a construction permit application in 2029, with construction for the proposed plant starting in 2031. The decision to selected the BWRX300 is the result of a feasibility study that assessed both light water and advanced small modular reactors from multiple vendors.
In a statement to World Nuclear News, Fermi Energia said, “”As the initial construction will start in Canada, Fermi Energia saw the reactor as the most suitable for construction in Estonia out of the three offers received. Based on the design and construction experience of the Darlington nuclear power plant near Toronto, Ontario, the planning, design and construction of the Estonian nuclear power plant can also be gradually started.”
In June 2024, the Estonian parliament has passed a resolution supporting the adoption of nuclear energy in the country based on an analysis conducted by the Nuclear Energy Working Group. The country does not yet have nuclear capacity.
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