{ "dataset": "NNN Fusion Energy Companies & Projects Tracker", "version": "1", "generated_at": "2026-10-11T19:18:45.566Z", "license": { "current_state": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "name": "CC BY 4.0", "scope": "The grant covers the NNN dataset as a compilation: selection, arrangement, schema, annotations, event and milestone curation, and verification metadata, including EU sui generis database rights. Underlying facts are facts and are not owned or restricted by NNN. Third-party licensed data shown on NNN pages is excluded from the dataset and from this grant.", "history": "History surfaces — append-only milestone logs, event/change feeds, and full JSON snapshots — are provided under the NNN Data License Terms (https://www.nuclearnewsnetwork.com/data-license): journalism, research, citation and AI answering are expressly permitted royalty-free with attribution; systematic bulk extraction, dataset redistribution, and embedding in commercial products or training corpora require a commercial license.", "terms_url": "https://www.nuclearnewsnetwork.com/data-license", "terms_version": "1.1 (2026-08-13)", "attribution": { "text": "Nuclear News Network, \"Fusion Energy Companies & Projects Tracker\", https://www.nuclearnewsnetwork.com/industry-trackers/fusion-energy-companies", "url": "https://www.nuclearnewsnetwork.com/industry-trackers/fusion-energy-companies" } }, "last_reviewed": "2026-10-11", "scope": "One record per fusion device or planned fusion power plant worldwide, covering private companies and public or national programs: research machines, demonstrators, pilot plants and first commercial plants. Component suppliers and fusion-adjacent businesses are excluded. The retired JET is kept for historical context, and First Light Fusion's cancelled Machine 4 documents a notable pivot.", "key_facts": [ { "label": "Private fusion funding, 12 months to July 2026", "value": "$4.48bn", "detail": "A record year across 56 surveyed companies, about 69% more than the prior year, per the Fusion Industry Association's 2026 report.", "source": "https://www.niauk.org/fusion-industry-attracts-record-annual-funding-of-4-48bn/", "publisher": "Nuclear Industry Association, reporting FIA data", "as_of": "2026-07" }, { "label": "Cumulative fusion industry funding since 2021", "value": "$14.24bn", "detail": "Raised by fusion companies since the FIA survey began; the industry reports more than 16,000 employees.", "source": "https://www.niauk.org/fusion-industry-attracts-record-annual-funding-of-4-48bn/", "publisher": "Nuclear Industry Association, reporting FIA data", "as_of": "2026-07" }, { "label": "ITER research operations (2024 baseline)", "value": "2034", "detail": "The 2024 rebaseline moved Start of Research Operation to 2034 and deuterium-tritium operation to 2039.", "source": "https://iter.org/sites/default/files/media/2024-07/baseline_press_conference_summary_july-2024_b.pdf", "publisher": "ITER Organization", "as_of": "2024-07" }, { "label": "US NRC fusion rule", "value": "Proposed (Feb 2026)", "detail": "The proposed rule regulates fusion machines under the Part 30 byproduct-material framework; no final rule had been issued by mid-September 2026.", "source": "https://www.nrc.gov/materials/fusion/rulemaking-status", "publisher": "US Nuclear Regulatory Commission", "as_of": "2026-09-14" }, { "label": "DOE Milestone Program companies", "value": "8 ($46m)", "detail": "Private developers in DOE's milestone-based fusion development program, backed by $46 million in initially committed federal funding and working toward pilot-plant preliminary designs.", "source": "https://www.energy.gov/articles/us-department-energy-announces-selectees-107-million-fusion-innovation-research-engine", "publisher": "US Department of Energy", "as_of": "2025-01-16" }, { "label": "UK STEP prototype plant funding", "value": "£1.3bn", "detail": "Government investment backing the STEP program at West Burton, Nottinghamshire.", "source": "https://stepfusion.com/faqs/", "publisher": "UK Fusion Energy", "as_of": "2026" } ], "record_count": 51, "records": [ { "slug": "proxima-alpha", "name": "Alpha (Proxima Fusion)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "DE", "region": "europe", "location": "Garching, near Munich, Bavaria", "status": "design", "summary": "Alpha is Proxima Fusion's planned demonstration quasi-isodynamic stellarator near the Max Planck IPP in Garching, estimated at €2 billion and targeted for the early 2030s. Proxima raised €411 million in July 2026, bringing its total to over €650 million, with Bavaria pledging up to €400 million in public support.", "developer": "Proxima Fusion", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "stellarator", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": "Near IPP Garching (per 2026 MoU)", "funding_raised": 650000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "Bavaria up to €400m (High-Tech Agenda); €95m public grants received", "regulatory_note": null, "funding_as_of": "2026-07-07", "currency": "EUR", "milestones": [ { "date": "2025-06", "event": "Proxima Fusion closed a €130 million Series A, bringing total funding above €185 million.", "source": "https://www.chemeurope.com/en/news/1186471/start-up-wants-to-build-the-world-s-first-stellarator-based-fusion-power-plant-in-the-2030s.html" }, { "date": "2026-03-03", "event": "Proxima signed an MoU with Bavaria, RWE and Max Planck IPP to build the Alpha demonstrator near Garching and a plant at Gundremmingen.", "source": "https://www.ans.org/news/article-7810/proxima-fusion-signs-mou-with-bavaria-rwe-and-max-planck-ipp-to-build-german-stellarator-power-plant/" }, { "date": "2026-07-07", "event": "Proxima raised €411 million at a €2.4 billion valuation, taking total funding to over €650 million.", "source": "https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/07/largest-european-fusion-investment-on-record-sees-proxima-fusion-raise-e411-million/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/07/largest-european-fusion-investment-on-record-sees-proxima-fusion-raise-e411-million/", "title": "Largest European fusion investment on record sees Proxima Fusion raise €411 million", "publisher": "EU-Startups", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.proximafusion.com/press-news/proxima-fusion-raises-eu411-million-to-build-europes-commercial-fusion-champion", "title": "Proxima Fusion Raises €411 Million to Build Europe's Commercial Fusion Champion", "publisher": "Proxima Fusion", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.ans.org/news/article-7810/proxima-fusion-signs-mou-with-bavaria-rwe-and-max-planck-ipp-to-build-german-stellarator-power-plant/", "title": "Proxima Fusion signs MOU with Bavaria, RWE, and Max Planck IPP", "publisher": "ANS Nuclear Newswire", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.chemeurope.com/en/news/1186471/start-up-wants-to-build-the-world-s-first-stellarator-based-fusion-power-plant-in-the-2030s.html", "title": "Proxima Fusion raises €130M Series A", "publisher": "Chemeurope", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "high", "notes": "first plasma target not set: sources say 'early 2030s'/'2030s' without a year. Series A month (June 2025) from secondary coverage. FIA's 2026 report cites a $518m Proxima round (likely USD conversion including other tranches) vs. €411m announced.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "cfs-arc", "name": "ARC (Commonwealth Fusion Systems)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": "James River Industrial Center, Chesterfield County, Virginia", "status": "design", "summary": "ARC is CFS's planned first commercial ~400 MWe tokamak power plant on a Dominion Energy-owned site in Chesterfield County, Virginia. It has a county conditional use permit, a PJM interconnection request filed in April 2026, and offtake deals with Google (200 MW) and Eni; power is targeted for the early 2030s.", "developer": "Commonwealth Fusion Systems", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "tokamak", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "commercial-plant", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": 400, "offtakers": [ "Google (200 MW PPA)", "Eni (offtake agreement, >$1bn)" ], "site_status": "Site selected (Dominion-owned James River Industrial Center); county conditional use permit approved Sept 2025; PJM interconnection application filed 2026-04-28", "funding_raised": 3000000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": null, "regulatory_note": "Expected to be licensed by Virginia (NRC Agreement State) under the byproduct-material framework for fusion machines.", "funding_as_of": "2025-08-28", "currency": "USD", "milestones": [ { "date": "2024-12-17", "event": "CFS and Virginia's governor announced ARC would be built at the James River Industrial Center in Chesterfield County.", "source": "https://cfs.energy/news-and-media/commonwealth-fusion-systems-to-build-worlds-first-commercial-fusion-power-plant-in-virginia/" }, { "date": "2025-06", "event": "Google signed a 200 MW power purchase agreement for ARC output, contingent on SPARC reaching Q>1.", "source": "https://convergedigest.com/google-signs-landmark-deal-for-fusion-power-with-cfs/" }, { "date": "2025-08-19", "event": "Chesterfield County's planning commission unanimously approved a conditional use permit for ARC.", "source": "https://virginiabusiness.com/chesterfield-planners-approve-2-5b-nuclear-fusion-plant/" }, { "date": "2025-09", "event": "Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved ARC's conditional use permit for the 94-acre site.", "source": "https://www.grpva.com/news/chesterfield-approves-fusion-power-plant-permit/" }, { "date": "2025-09-22", "event": "Eni signed an offtake agreement for ARC power worth more than $1 billion.", "source": "https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/google-backed-fusion-firm-commonwealth-fusion-systems-signs-ppa-with-italian-energy-company-eni/" }, { "date": "2026-04-28", "event": "CFS applied to PJM Interconnection to connect ARC to the grid, the first fusion developer to do so.", "source": "https://www.cfs.energy/news-and-media/commonwealth-fusion-systems-becomes-first-fusion-company-to-apply-to-pjm-interconnection-the-largest-u.s.-wholesale-electricity-market" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://cfs.energy/news-and-media/commonwealth-fusion-systems-to-build-worlds-first-commercial-fusion-power-plant-in-virginia/", "title": "Commonwealth Fusion Systems to Build World's First Commercial Fusion Power Plant in Virginia", "publisher": "Commonwealth Fusion Systems", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://convergedigest.com/google-signs-landmark-deal-for-fusion-power-with-cfs/", "title": "Google signs landmark deal for fusion power with CFS", "publisher": "Converge Digest", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/google-backed-fusion-firm-commonwealth-fusion-systems-signs-ppa-with-italian-energy-company-eni/", "title": "Google-backed fusion firm CFS signs PPA with Italian energy company Eni", "publisher": "DatacenterDynamics", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://virginiabusiness.com/chesterfield-planners-approve-2-5b-nuclear-fusion-plant/", "title": "Chesterfield planners approve $2.5B+ nuclear fusion plant", "publisher": "Virginia Business", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.grpva.com/news/chesterfield-approves-fusion-power-plant-permit/", "title": "Chesterfield approves fusion power plant permit", "publisher": "Greater Richmond Partnership", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.cfs.energy/news-and-media/commonwealth-fusion-systems-becomes-first-fusion-company-to-apply-to-pjm-interconnection-the-largest-u.s.-wholesale-electricity-market", "title": "Commonwealth Fusion Systems becomes first fusion company to apply to PJM Interconnection", "publisher": "Commonwealth Fusion Systems", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/grid-connection-requested-for-us-fusion-power-plant", "title": "Grid connection requested for US fusion power plant", "publisher": "World Nuclear News", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://cfs.energy/news-and-media/commonwealth-fusion-systems-raises-863-million-series-b2-round-to-accelerate-the-commercialization-of-fusion-energy", "title": "Commonwealth Fusion Systems Raises $863 Million Series B2 Round", "publisher": "Commonwealth Fusion Systems", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "high", "notes": "Grid target stated only as 'early 2030s' (no specific year). CFS estimates PJM studies could take 4-6 years. Funding figure is company-wide, not project-specific; Chesterfield officials estimated plant cost at >$2.5bn.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [ "design:arc", "org:cfs" ], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "xcimer-athena", "name": "Athena (Xcimer Energy)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": null, "status": "concept", "summary": "Athena is Xcimer Energy's planned first laser inertial fusion power plant, designed to deliver 400 MW to the grid with a molten-salt wall chamber at up to 1 Hz. DOE approved its preconceptual design in June 2026; Xcimer targets 2035, after the Vulcan wall-plug breakeven demonstrator planned for 2031.", "developer": "Xcimer Energy", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "inertial-laser", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "commercial-plant", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": "2031", "grid_power_target": "2035", "power_mw_target": 400, "offtakers": [], "site_status": "Site not yet determined", "funding_raised": 200000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "DOE Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program awardee", "regulatory_note": null, "funding_as_of": "2026-06", "currency": "USD", "milestones": [ { "date": "2025-02-17", "event": "Xcimer was awarded $4 million in federal funding to improve the efficiency of its inertial fusion lasers.", "source": "https://xcimer.energy/" }, { "date": "2026-06-10", "event": "DOE approved Xcimer's preconceptual Athena power plant design under the Milestone program.", "source": "https://www.ans.org/news/2026-06-10/article-8111/doe-approves-xcimer-laser-fusion-power-plant-design/" }, { "date": "2026-09-10", "event": "RTX announced an investment in and partnership with Xcimer on directed-energy laser technology.", "source": "https://xcimer.energy/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.ans.org/news/2026-06-10/article-8111/doe-approves-xcimer-laser-fusion-power-plant-design/", "title": "DOE approves Xcimer laser fusion power plant design", "publisher": "ANS Nuclear Newswire", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://xcimer.energy/faq/", "title": "FAQ", "publisher": "Xcimer Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://xcimer.energy/", "title": "Xcimer Energy homepage (news)", "publisher": "Xcimer Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "net energy target 2031 refers to the separate Vulcan device targeting engineering (wall-plug) breakeven (Q_eng-type), not Athena itself.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [ "org:xcimer-energy" ], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "china-best", "name": "BEST (Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "CN", "region": "asia", "location": "Hefei, Anhui", "status": "under_construction", "summary": "BEST is a compact superconducting tokamak being built in Hefei by ASIPP-linked Fusion Energy (Anhui) Co. to demonstrate burning D-T plasma with Q around 5. Assembly passed the halfway point in early 2026 and completion is targeted for late 2027, with an electricity-generation demonstration aimed for around 2030.", "developer": "Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP) / Fusion Energy (Anhui) Co.", "developer_type": "public", "concept": "tokamak", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": "2030", "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": "Under construction in Hefei; main building complete", "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "Chinese state and Anhui provincial funding", "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2023", "event": "Construction of BEST began in Hefei.", "source": "https://www.neimagazine.com/news/final-assembly-for-chinese-tokamak/" }, { "date": "2025-08", "event": "Final assembly of BEST was reported to be under way, with the main building complete and completion targeted for 2027.", "source": "https://www.neimagazine.com/news/final-assembly-for-chinese-tokamak/" }, { "date": "2026-01", "event": "Xinhua reported more than half of BEST's assembly complete, entering the nested vacuum vessel/thermal shield/TF magnet phase.", "source": "https://english.hf.cas.cn/nr/hm/202601/t20260119_1145868.html" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.neimagazine.com/news/final-assembly-for-chinese-tokamak/", "title": "Final assembly for Chinese tokamak", "publisher": "Nuclear Engineering International", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://english.hf.cas.cn/nr/hm/202601/t20260119_1145868.html", "title": "China's fusion research construction of BEST gains momentum (Xinhua)", "publisher": "Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, CAS", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://interestingengineering.com/energy/chinas-artificial-sun-advances", "title": "China's artificial sun advances", "publisher": "Interesting Engineering", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://irfm.cea.fr/en/2026/05/participation-de-l-irfm-a-la-2e-reunion-du-comite-international-sur-la-revue-de-la-conception-physique-de-cfedr-anglais/", "title": "IRFM's participation in the 2nd CFEDR physics design review", "publisher": "CEA-IRFM", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "Sources disagree on construction start (2023 vs May 2025). net energy target 2030 reflects the stated aim to demonstrate net fusion power gain and electricity generation around 2030 (Q~5 is Q_sci). No first-plasma year officially stated; completion targeted end-2027.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "nt-tao-c3", "name": "C3 prototype (nT-Tao)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "IL", "region": "middle-east-africa", "location": "Hod Hasharon", "status": "operating", "summary": "nT-Tao is an Israeli compact fusion company developing a pulsed high-density magnetic-confinement system; its C3 prototype achieved first plasma in January 2026. Its planned Compact Fusion System targets up to 20 MW of continuous electricity, and in September 2026 it signed an MoU with Orion Nuclear Energy to explore US deployments.", "developer": "nT-Tao", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "other", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": "2026-01", "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": 20, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": null, "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2026-01", "event": "nT-Tao's C3 prototype reached operational status and achieved first plasma.", "source": "https://interestingengineering.com/energy/nt-tao-orion-20-mw-fusion-power-us-data-centers" }, { "date": "2026-09", "event": "nT-Tao deployed a 50 MW pulsed-power subsystem to advance the C3 prototype.", "source": "https://interestingengineering.com/energy/nt-tao-orion-20-mw-fusion-power-us-data-centers" }, { "date": "2026-09-21", "event": "nT-Tao and Orion Nuclear Energy signed an MoU to evaluate US deployment of its 20 MW Compact Fusion System for data centers.", "source": "https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/09/21/3365430/0/en/nt-tao-and-orion-nuclear-energy-corporation-announce-strategic-collaboration-to-bring-compact-fusion-power-to-u-s-data-centers-and-critical-infrastructure.html" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://interestingengineering.com/energy/nt-tao-orion-20-mw-fusion-power-us-data-centers", "title": "20 MW compact fusion system targets data center power demand", "publisher": "Interesting Engineering", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/09/21/3365430/0/en/nt-tao-and-orion-nuclear-energy-corporation-announce-strategic-collaboration-to-bring-compact-fusion-power-to-u-s-data-centers-and-critical-infrastructure.html", "title": "nT-Tao and Orion Nuclear Energy Corporation Announce Strategic Collaboration", "publisher": "GlobeNewswire", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "target output refers to the planned Compact Fusion System product, not C3. Secondary sources cite ~$28M total funding (Series A $22M led by Delek US); not verified from a primary source, so private funding raised not recorded. concept \"Other\" = pulsed compact magnetic confinement.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "zap-century", "name": "Century (Zap Energy)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": "Everett, Washington", "status": "operating", "summary": "Century is Zap Energy's power-plant demonstration platform integrating repetitive pulsed power with liquid-bismuth walls; its central stack is close to the size of a planned 50 MWe module. In May 2026 DOE approved Zap's preconceptual pilot plant design (~50 MWe net per module) under the Milestone program.", "developer": "Zap Energy", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "z-pinch", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": "2024-06-13", "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": 50, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": 324000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "DOE Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program awardee", "regulatory_note": null, "funding_as_of": "2024-10-15", "currency": "USD", "milestones": [ { "date": "2024-06-13", "event": "Century achieved first plasma with flowing liquid metal.", "source": "https://pulse2.com/zap-energy-130-million-series-d-raised-to-build-a-scalable-fusion-energy-platform/" }, { "date": "2024-10", "event": "Zap unveiled Century after a run of 1,080 consecutive shots and raised a $130 million Series D led by Soros Fund Management.", "source": "https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/09/zap-energy-shows-off-its-new-fusion-power-prototype-century/" }, { "date": "2026-05-19", "event": "DOE approved Zap's preconceptual Z-pinch fusion power plant design report (~50 MWe net per module) under the Milestone program.", "source": "https://www.zapenergy.com/u-s-department-of-energy-approves-zap-energys-fusion-pilot-plant-preconceptual-design-milestone" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://pulse2.com/zap-energy-130-million-series-d-raised-to-build-a-scalable-fusion-energy-platform/", "title": "Zap Energy: $130 Million (Series D) Raised", "publisher": "Pulse 2.0", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/09/zap-energy-shows-off-its-new-fusion-power-prototype-century/", "title": "Zap Energy shows off its new fusion power prototype, Century", "publisher": "TechCrunch", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.zapenergy.com/u-s-department-of-energy-approves-zap-energys-fusion-pilot-plant-preconceptual-design-milestone", "title": "U.S. Department of Energy Approves Zap Energy's Fusion Pilot Plant Preconceptual Design Milestone", "publisher": "Zap Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zap_Energy", "title": "Zap Energy", "publisher": "Wikipedia", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "Century is a non-fusion-gain engineering platform (target output refers to the planned plant module, not Century). Funding figure is the sum of disclosed equity rounds.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "china-cfedr", "name": "CFEDR / China Fusion Energy Co. demo reactor (successor to CFETR)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "CN", "region": "asia", "location": null, "status": "design", "summary": "China Fusion Energy Co., a CNNC-led state company with 15 billion yuan registered capital set up in Shanghai in July 2025, is pursuing the tokamak path from pilot to commercial plants. Its reference engineering demo reactor design (CFEDR, evolved from CFETR) targets 1.5-3 GW fusion power and >200 MWe net; an international physics design review met in April 2026.", "developer": "China Fusion Energy Co. (CNNC-led) with ASIPP / SWIP", "developer_type": "public", "concept": "tokamak", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": 200, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": 15000000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "State-owned: CNNC 50.35%, PetroChina Kunlun Capital 20%, Shanghai Fusion Energy 11.81% and others", "regulatory_note": null, "funding_as_of": "2025-07-22", "currency": "CNY", "milestones": [ { "date": "2020", "event": "The CFETR engineering design was completed.", "source": "https://www.ans.org/news/article-7244/china-launches-fusionfocused-company/" }, { "date": "2025-07-22", "event": "China Fusion Energy Co. was established in Shanghai's Lingang zone with 15 billion yuan registered capital, led by CNNC.", "source": "https://en.jiemian.com/article/13076707.html" }, { "date": "2026-04-16", "event": "An international committee completed its second review of the CFEDR physics design in Hefei, calling it a credible path to net electricity.", "source": "https://irfm.cea.fr/en/2026/05/participation-de-l-irfm-a-la-2e-reunion-du-comite-international-sur-la-revue-de-la-conception-physique-de-cfedr-anglais/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://en.jiemian.com/article/13076707.html", "title": "State-backed fusion energy firm debuts in Shanghai with 15b yuan investment", "publisher": "Jiemian", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.ans.org/news/article-7244/china-launches-fusionfocused-company/", "title": "China launches fusion-focused company", "publisher": "ANS Nuclear Newswire", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://irfm.cea.fr/en/2026/05/participation-de-l-irfm-a-la-2e-reunion-du-comite-international-sur-la-revue-de-la-conception-physique-de-cfedr-anglais/", "title": "IRFM's participation in the 2nd meeting of the international committee reviewing CFEDR physics design", "publisher": "CEA-IRFM", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "low", "notes": "private funding raised here is registered capital of the state company (not private VC). Relationship between China Fusion Energy Co. and CFEDR, and the CFEDR site, are not confirmed in the sources reviewed; the CFETR 2020 design date is from secondary coverage. target output is the '>200 MWe net' mission figure. Schedules in secondary sources conflict (demo ~2035, commercial after 2040).", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "tae-copernicus", "name": "Copernicus (TAE Technologies)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": "Irvine, California", "status": "under_construction", "summary": "Copernicus is TAE's next-generation FRC device under construction in Irvine, California, meant to demonstrate net energy conditions before the end of the decade. TAE has published little on its progress since mid-2025.", "developer": "TAE Technologies", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "frc", "fuel": null, "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": "Facility at 9740 Irvine Blvd., Irvine", "funding_raised": 1300000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": null, "regulatory_note": null, "funding_as_of": "2025-12-18", "currency": "USD", "milestones": [ { "date": "2025-06", "event": "TAE said Copernicus construction in Irvine was on track, with a three-year timeframe to its net-energy milestone.", "source": "https://www.ocbj.com/oc-homepage/tae-technologies-2025/" }, { "date": "2025-12-18", "event": "TAE agreed to merge with Trump Media & Technology Group in an all-stock deal valued at more than $6 billion.", "source": "https://tae.com/trump-media-and-technology-group-to-merge-with-tae-technologies/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.ocbj.com/oc-homepage/tae-technologies-2025/", "title": "TAE Technologies 2025", "publisher": "Orange County Business Journal", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://tae.com/trump-media-and-technology-group-to-merge-with-tae-technologies/", "title": "Trump Media and Technology Group to Merge with TAE Technologies", "publisher": "TAE Technologies", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "low", "notes": "Unclear whether Copernicus remains on TAE's critical path: the Dec 2025 merger plan jumps straight to siting a 50 MWe plant in 2026, and one secondary report said Norm's results let TAE leapfrog a planned device. Net-energy target given only as 'before the end of the decade'.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "startorus-ctrfr-1", "name": "CTRFR-1 / Startorus No.1 (Startorus Fusion)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "CN", "region": "asia", "location": "Shanghai (Jiading) / Xi'an", "status": "design", "summary": "Startorus Fusion is a Chinese spherical-tokamak start-up developing a repetitive-reconnection approach; after SUNIST-2 (with Tsinghua) it is building the NTST device in Shanghai, due to operate in 2027, ahead of CTRFR-1, which targets equivalent Q>1 in 2029-2030 and an electricity-exporting demonstrator in the early 2030s.", "developer": "Startorus Fusion", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "spherical-tokamak", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": "2029", "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": "Shanghai Jiading experimental base under construction (hall completion 2027)", "funding_raised": 2000000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": null, "regulatory_note": null, "funding_as_of": "2026-05-07", "currency": "CNY", "milestones": [ { "date": "2026-01-12", "event": "Startorus closed a state-led Series A of about $143 million.", "source": "https://fusionxinvest.com/company-profile/4328/startorus-fusion/" }, { "date": "2026-05-07", "event": "Startorus closed a RMB 500 million Series A+ round, taking cumulative funding above RMB 2 billion.", "source": "https://startorus.com/company-news/453.html" }, { "date": "2026-08-09", "event": "Startorus announced a further RMB 880 million (~$130 million) A++ round.", "source": "https://fusionxinvest.com/company-profile/4328/startorus-fusion/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://startorus.com/company-news/453.html", "title": "Startorus Fusion Secures 500 Million Series A+ Financing", "publisher": "Startorus Fusion", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://fusionxinvest.com/company-profile/4328/startorus-fusion/", "title": "Startorus Fusion company profile", "publisher": "FusionXInvest", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "net energy target 2029 is the start of the company's 2029-2030 window for 'equivalent Q>1' (Q_sci-equivalent, likely D-D extrapolated). NTST installation targeted end-2026 with rated operation 2027. private funding raised (>RMB 2bn) is as of May 2026 and excludes the Aug 2026 RMB 880m A++ round, so the true cumulative total is higher. CTRFR-1 is described as a negative-triangularity spherical tokamak.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "tae-da-vinci", "name": "Da Vinci / first utility-scale plant (TAE Technologies)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": null, "status": "concept", "summary": "TAE's first utility-scale fusion power plant, previously branded Da Vinci, is planned at roughly 50 MWe. Under the pending merger with Trump Media & Technology Group, TAE aimed to choose a site and start construction in 2026; it toured candidate sites in Alabama, Ohio and Texas but had not named one as of October 2026.", "developer": "TAE Technologies", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "frc", "fuel": null, "purpose": "commercial-plant", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": 50, "offtakers": [], "site_status": "Site selection under way (Alabama, Ohio, Texas toured); no site announced", "funding_raised": 1300000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": null, "regulatory_note": "Would be regulated under the NRC/Agreement State byproduct-material framework for fusion machines.", "funding_as_of": "2025-12-18", "currency": "USD", "milestones": [ { "date": "2025-12-18", "event": "TAE and Trump Media & Technology Group announced an all-stock merger valued at over $6 billion, with TMTG committing up to $300 million in cash and plans to site a 50 MWe plant in 2026.", "source": "https://tae.com/trump-media-and-technology-group-to-merge-with-tae-technologies/" }, { "date": "2026-04", "event": "TAE completed a site evaluation tour for its first fusion power plant in Alabama, Ohio and Texas.", "source": "https://tae.com/news/" }, { "date": "2026-09-30", "event": "TAE and TMTG filed a Form S-4 registration statement with the SEC for the merger.", "source": "https://tae.com/news/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://tae.com/trump-media-and-technology-group-to-merge-with-tae-technologies/", "title": "Trump Media and Technology Group to Merge with TAE Technologies", "publisher": "TAE Technologies", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://tae.com/news/", "title": "News and Press", "publisher": "TAE Technologies", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001849635/000143774926031534/djt20260922_s4.htm", "title": "Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. Form S-4", "publisher": "US SEC", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.ocbj.com/oc-homepage/tae-technologies-2025/", "title": "TAE Technologies 2025", "publisher": "Orange County Business Journal", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "Earlier TAE material targeted Da Vinci electricity in the early 2030s; the merger release does not use the Da Vinci name. Merger had not closed as of 2026-10-11 (expected before end-2026); ticker not recorded until closing. Trump Media trades as NASDAQ: DJT.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "pacific-fusion-demonstration-system", "name": "Demonstration System (Pacific Fusion)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": "Mesa del Sol, Albuquerque, New Mexico", "status": "under_construction", "summary": "Pacific Fusion's Demonstration System is a pulser-driven inertial fusion machine that aims for net facility gain by 2030, with fusion bursts above 100 MJ. The company broke ground on a $1 billion-scale research and manufacturing campus in Albuquerque in August 2026.", "developer": "Pacific Fusion", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "inertial-pulsed-power", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": "2030", "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": "Groundbreaking at Mesa del Sol, Albuquerque, August 2026", "funding_raised": 900000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": null, "regulatory_note": null, "funding_as_of": "2024-10", "currency": "USD", "milestones": [ { "date": "2024-10", "event": "Pacific Fusion emerged from stealth with a milestone-tranched Series A commitment of more than $900 million led by General Catalyst.", "source": "https://www.power-eng.com/nuclear/a-new-nuclear-fusion-startup-has-raised-900m-in-series-a-funding/" }, { "date": "2026-02", "event": "Pacific Fusion and Sandia National Laboratories reported a simplification of pulser-driven ICF in joint experiments.", "source": "https://www.ans.org/news/article-7739/fusion-simplification-demonstrated-by-pacific-fusion-and-sandia/" }, { "date": "2026-08-24", "event": "Pacific Fusion broke ground on its Albuquerque campus to house the Demonstration System.", "source": "https://www.pacificfusion.com/resources/pacific-fusion-breaks-ground-on-first-of-a-kind-fusion-facility-in-new-mexico" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.pacificfusion.com/resources/pacific-fusion-breaks-ground-on-first-of-a-kind-fusion-facility-in-new-mexico", "title": "Pacific Fusion breaks ground on first-of-a-kind fusion facility in New Mexico", "publisher": "Pacific Fusion", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.power-eng.com/nuclear/a-new-nuclear-fusion-startup-has-raised-900m-in-series-a-funding/", "title": "A new nuclear fusion startup has raised $900M in Series A funding", "publisher": "Power Engineering", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.ans.org/news/article-7739/fusion-simplification-demonstrated-by-pacific-fusion-and-sandia/", "title": "Fusion simplification demonstrated by Pacific Fusion and Sandia", "publisher": "ANS Nuclear Newswire", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://sacra.com/c/pacific-fusion/", "title": "Pacific Fusion", "publisher": "Sacra", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "net energy target 2030 is 'net facility gain' (fusion yield > total energy stored in the machine), stricter than target gain but not Q_eng/electricity. private funding raised is the Series A commitment, released in milestone tranches; aggregators report total commitments above $1bn by June 2026 (unverified).", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [ "org:pacific-fusion" ], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "china-east", "name": "EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "CN", "region": "asia", "location": "Hefei, Anhui", "status": "operating", "summary": "EAST is China's fully superconducting research tokamak operated by ASIPP in Hefei since 2006. In January 2025 it sustained H-mode plasma for 1,066 seconds, and in January 2026 its team reported operating beyond the empirical plasma density limit.", "developer": "Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP)", "developer_type": "public", "concept": "tokamak", "fuel": "D-D", "purpose": "research", "first_plasma": "2006", "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "Chinese Academy of Sciences / national funding", "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2006", "event": "EAST achieved first plasma in Hefei.", "source": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experimental_Advanced_Superconducting_Tokamak" }, { "date": "2025-01-20", "event": "EAST sustained a high-confinement (H-mode) plasma for 1,066 seconds, beating its 403-second record from 2023.", "source": "https://www.physicsworld.com/a/chinas-experimental-advanced-superconducting-tokamak-smashes-fusion-confinement-record/" }, { "date": "2026-01", "event": "The EAST team reported in Science Advances experimental access to a 'density-free' regime beyond the empirical density limit.", "source": "https://bcas.cas.cn/head/202602/t20260226_1151209.html" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experimental_Advanced_Superconducting_Tokamak", "title": "Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak", "publisher": "Wikipedia", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.physicsworld.com/a/chinas-experimental-advanced-superconducting-tokamak-smashes-fusion-confinement-record/", "title": "China's EAST smashes fusion confinement record", "publisher": "Physics World", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://bcas.cas.cn/head/202602/t20260226_1151209.html", "title": "EAST breaks through plasma density limit", "publisher": "Chinese Academy of Sciences", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "high", "notes": "WEST (France) surpassed EAST's duration record with 1,337 s in February 2025 (at lower performance than H-mode).", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "thea-eos", "name": "Eos (Thea Energy)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": null, "status": "design", "summary": "Eos is Thea Energy's planned large-scale integrated stellarator built from arrays of planar HTS magnets, meant to demonstrate power-plant-relevant steady-state fusion ahead of its 'Helios' power plants. Thea raised a $100 million Series B in May 2026 (extended in August) and was evaluating sites for Eos.", "developer": "Thea Energy", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "stellarator", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": "Multiple sites under evaluation; selection expected in 2026", "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "DOE Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program awardee (Helios preconceptual design certified); $20M ARPA-E SCALEUP award; six DOE INFUSE awards", "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2026-05-27", "event": "Thea Energy raised a $100 million Series B led by Thomas Tull's USIT to expand magnet manufacturing and fast-track Eos, after DOE certified its Helios preconceptual design milestone.", "source": "https://thea.energy/press-release/thea-energy-raises-100-million-series-b-funding-to-build-scalable-fusion-power-plants/" }, { "date": "2026-08-18", "event": "Thea closed a Series B extension, received a $20 million ARPA-E SCALEUP award and said Eos-spec magnets met field and precision requirements.", "source": "https://thea.energy/press-release/thea-energy-extends-series-b-funding-to-deploy-efficient-and-economical-fusion-power/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://thea.energy/press-release/thea-energy-raises-100-million-series-b-funding-to-build-scalable-fusion-power-plants/", "title": "Thea Energy Raises $100 Million Series B Funding to Build Scalable Fusion Power Plants", "publisher": "Thea Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://thea.energy/press-release/thea-energy-extends-series-b-funding-to-deploy-efficient-and-economical-fusion-power/", "title": "Thea Energy Extends Series B Funding to Deploy Efficient and Economical Fusion Power", "publisher": "Thea Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "Cumulative funding not disclosed (Series B $100M plus undisclosed extension), so private funding raised not recorded. Thea aims to start construction of the first Helios plant before 2030. Secondary reports suggest Eos completion around 2030, unconfirmed by Thea.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "eu-demo", "name": "EU DEMO (EUROfusion Demonstration Power Plant)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "EU", "region": "europe", "location": null, "status": "concept", "summary": "EU DEMO is Europe's planned post-ITER demonstration tokamak power plant, intended to deliver 300-500 MW of net electricity with a closed tritium fuel cycle. It is in the conceptual design phase under EUROfusion; no site or construction date has been set and operation is not expected before the 2050s.", "developer": "EUROfusion consortium (EU Euratom programme)", "developer_type": "public", "concept": "tokamak", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": 300, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "Euratom research programme via EUROfusion", "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2017-07", "event": "A draft EUROfusion roadmap pushed DEMO start to 'early in the second half of the century', with a design document citing post-2054.", "source": "https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/nuclear-fusion-in-europe-delayed-past-2050/" }, { "date": "2020-12-14", "event": "An independent DEMO Gate Review Panel endorsed moving DEMO into its conceptual design phase.", "source": "https://euro-fusion.org/eurofusion-news/expert-panel-demo-design/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://euro-fusion.org/programme/demo/", "title": "Demonstration Power Plant DEMO", "publisher": "EUROfusion", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://euro-fusion.org/eurofusion-news/expert-panel-demo-design/", "title": "Expert panel approves next DEMO design phase", "publisher": "EUROfusion", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/nuclear-fusion-in-europe-delayed-past-2050/", "title": "Nuclear fusion in Europe delayed past 2050", "publisher": "The Chemical Engineer", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "low", "notes": "country 'EU' is not an ISO-3166 code; used because DEMO is a multinational EU programme with no site. target output holds the low end of the 300-500 MWe net range. No 2025-26 milestone found; schedule information is old.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "fast-japan", "name": "FAST (Fusion by Advanced Superconducting Tokamak)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "JP", "region": "asia", "location": null, "status": "design", "summary": "FAST is a Japanese private-sector-led fusion power demonstration project led by Starlight Engine with Kyoto Fusioneering as engineering partner. It plans a JT-60SA-class low-aspect-ratio D-T tokamak of ~50 MW fusion output; the conceptual design was completed in November 2025, with construction targeted after 2028 and power demonstration in the 2030s.", "developer": "Starlight Engine Ltd. / Kyoto Fusioneering", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "tokamak", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": "Site not selected; site requirements published and multiple regions engaged", "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": null, "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2024-11-12", "event": "Kyoto Fusioneering and partners launched FAST, aiming for fusion power generation by the late 2030s.", "source": "https://kyotofusioneering.com/en/news/2024/11/12/2678" }, { "date": "2025-11-27", "event": "Starlight Engine completed FAST's conceptual design and published Japan's first private-sector-led conceptual design report.", "source": "https://kyotofusioneering.com/en/news/2025/11/27/3586" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://kyotofusioneering.com/en/news/2025/11/27/3586", "title": "Completion of Conceptual Design for the Fusion Energy Demonstration Project FAST", "publisher": "Kyoto Fusioneering", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://kyotofusioneering.com/en/news/2024/11/12/2678", "title": "Fusion Energy Power Generation Demonstration Project, FAST", "publisher": "Kyoto Fusioneering", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "~50 MW is fusion (thermal) power, not MWe, so target output not recorded. Funding for engineering design being sought in 2026. Kyoto Fusioneering itself is primarily a component/engineering supplier; FAST is the device-level project.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "shine-flare", "name": "FLARE fusion neutron source (SHINE Technologies)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": "Janesville, Wisconsin", "status": "operating", "summary": "FLARE is SHINE Technologies' accelerator-driven D-T fusion neutron system, producing up to 50 trillion neutrons per second for radiation-effects testing; it has served government and industry customers since August 2023. SHINE, which raised a $240 million Series E in 2026 (over $1 billion total), treats fusion power as a long-term goal after isotopes and waste recycling.", "developer": "SHINE Technologies", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "other", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "research", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": 1000000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": null, "regulatory_note": "Lab licensed for tritium operations in Janesville, Wisconsin.", "funding_as_of": "2026-02-26", "currency": "USD", "milestones": [ { "date": "2023-08", "event": "SHINE began providing FLARE fusion neutron testing services to DoD, DOE and defense-industrial customers.", "source": "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shine-technologies-showcases-flare-the-worlds-most-powerful-continuous-fusion-neutron-system-302202146.html" }, { "date": "2024-07-22", "event": "SHINE showcased FLARE as the world's most powerful continuous fusion neutron system (5x10^13 n/s).", "source": "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shine-technologies-showcases-flare-the-worlds-most-powerful-continuous-fusion-neutron-system-302202146.html" }, { "date": "2026-02-26", "event": "SHINE announced a $240 million Series E led by NantWorks, taking total funding above $1 billion.", "source": "https://mlq.ai/news/nuclear-fusion-startup-shine-technologies-surpasses-1-billion-in-total-funding-with-240-million-round/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shine-technologies-showcases-flare-the-worlds-most-powerful-continuous-fusion-neutron-system-302202146.html", "title": "SHINE Technologies Showcases FLARE, the World's Most Powerful Continuous Fusion Neutron System", "publisher": "PR Newswire / SHINE", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://mlq.ai/news/nuclear-fusion-startup-shine-technologies-surpasses-1-billion-in-total-funding-with-240-million-round/", "title": "Nuclear fusion startup SHINE Technologies surpasses $1 billion in total funding", "publisher": "MLQ", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "concept \"Other\" = beam-target (accelerator) D-T fusion neutron generator; not a net-energy device. private funding raised is 'more than $1 billion' company-wide (largely for isotope production).", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "focused-energy-biblis", "name": "Focused Energy laser fusion plant (Biblis)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "DE", "region": "europe", "location": "Former Biblis nuclear power station, Hesse", "status": "concept", "summary": "Focused Energy, a Darmstadt-based laser inertial fusion company, plans its first laser fusion power plant at RWE's former Biblis nuclear station in Hesse, which already has grid infrastructure. In 2026 it raised a $240 million Series A led by RWE and is bidding, with Hesse, for a federal 'laser fusion hub' at Biblis.", "developer": "Focused Energy", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "inertial-laser", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "commercial-plant", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": "Biblis (RWE) site; bidding for German federal laser fusion hub", "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "German federal agency SPRIND and EIC Fund invested; federal laser-fusion hub tender pending", "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2025-10", "event": "RWE made its initial investment in Focused Energy.", "source": "https://www.rwe.com/en/press/rwe-ag/2026-05-27-rwe-increases-investment-in-focused-energy/" }, { "date": "2026-05-27", "event": "RWE added a further €60 million to Focused Energy's Series A and backed the Biblis site for laser fusion.", "source": "https://www.rwe.com/en/press/rwe-ag/2026-05-27-rwe-increases-investment-in-focused-energy/" }, { "date": "2026-06-02", "event": "Focused Energy announced a $240 million (€206 million) Series A round led by RWE to build a fusion plant at Biblis.", "source": "https://www.nucnet.org/news/germany-s-focused-energy-raises-usd240-million-in-investment-round-to-build-nuclear-fusion-plant-at-biblis-6-2-2026" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.nucnet.org/news/germany-s-focused-energy-raises-usd240-million-in-investment-round-to-build-nuclear-fusion-plant-at-biblis-6-2-2026", "title": "Germany's Focused Energy raises USD240 million in investment round to build nuclear fusion plant at Biblis", "publisher": "NucNet", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.rwe.com/en/press/rwe-ag/2026-05-27-rwe-increases-investment-in-focused-energy/", "title": "RWE increases investment in Focused Energy", "publisher": "RWE", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "No power rating or timeline published in the sources reviewed. Cumulative funding not stated; Series A $240M is the known round.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "zap-fuze-q", "name": "FuZE-Q (Zap Energy)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": "Everett, Washington", "status": "operating", "summary": "FuZE-Q is Zap Energy's highest-power sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch device, operating since 2022 alongside the newer three-electrode FuZE-3, which reached record ~1.6 GPa plasma pressures in 2025. These machines are stepping stones toward scientific gain (Q>1).", "developer": "Zap Energy", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "z-pinch", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "research", "first_plasma": "2022", "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": 324000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "DOE Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program awardee; ARPA-E support", "regulatory_note": null, "funding_as_of": "2024-10-15", "currency": "USD", "milestones": [ { "date": "2022-06", "event": "Zap announced first plasmas in FuZE-Q alongside a $160 million Series C.", "source": "https://zapenergy.com/news/first-plasmas-fuzeq-series-c" }, { "date": "2024-04", "event": "Zap reported 1-3 keV electron temperatures in its FuZE device.", "source": "https://www.zapenergy.com/updates/2024/04/zap-energy-achieves-37-million-degree-temperatures-in-a-compact-device" }, { "date": "2025-11", "event": "Zap reported FuZE-3 plasmas with electron pressures of 830 MPa (~1.6 GPa total) and said FuZE-Q remains in regular operation.", "source": "https://www.zapenergy.com/updates/2025/11/zap-energy-exceeds-gigapascal-fusion-plasma-pressures-on-new-fusion-device-fuze-3" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://zapenergy.com/news/first-plasmas-fuzeq-series-c", "title": "First plasmas in FuZE-Q; Series C", "publisher": "Zap Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.zapenergy.com/updates/2024/04/zap-energy-achieves-37-million-degree-temperatures-in-a-compact-device", "title": "Zap Energy achieves 37-million-degree temperatures in a compact device", "publisher": "Zap Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.zapenergy.com/updates/2025/11/zap-energy-exceeds-gigapascal-fusion-plasma-pressures-on-new-fusion-device-fuze-3", "title": "Zap Energy exceeds gigapascal fusion plasma pressures on new fusion device FuZE-3", "publisher": "Zap Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zap_Energy", "title": "Zap Energy", "publisher": "Wikipedia", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "private funding raised (~$324M) is the sum of disclosed equity rounds A-D listed on Wikipedia (excludes grants); no company-stated cumulative figure found. Fuel listed as D-T per long-term plant design; experiments use deuterium. In April 2026 Zap said it will also develop small fission reactors.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "gauss-fusion-giga", "name": "GIGA (Gauss Fusion)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "DE", "region": "europe", "location": null, "status": "design", "summary": "GIGA is Gauss Fusion's planned first-of-a-kind commercial stellarator power plant, developed by a consortium of European industrial firms. Its conceptual design report (2025) estimates EUR 15-18 billion and targets operation by the mid-2040s; the design passed independent review and the company changed CEO in April 2026.", "developer": "Gauss Fusion (Alcen, ASG Superconductors, Bruker EAS, IDOM, RI Research Instruments and partners)", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "stellarator", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "commercial-plant", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": null, "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2025-10-16", "event": "Gauss Fusion released its GIGA conceptual design report, estimating EUR 15-18 billion and targeting operation by the mid-2040s.", "source": "https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/gauss-fusion-releases-blueprint-for-development-of-its-giga-fusion-plant" }, { "date": "2026-01", "event": "An independent panel of fusion and industry experts reviewed the GIGA conceptual design report.", "source": "https://gauss-fusion.com/" }, { "date": "2026-04-15", "event": "CEO Milena Roveda stepped down following completion of the conceptual design phase.", "source": "https://fusionxinvest.com/insight/10616/where-now-gauss-fusion/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/gauss-fusion-releases-blueprint-for-development-of-its-giga-fusion-plant", "title": "Gauss Fusion releases blueprint for development of its GIGA fusion plant", "publisher": "World Nuclear News", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://gauss-fusion.com/", "title": "Gauss Fusion - Developing stellarator fusion power plants", "publisher": "Gauss Fusion", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://fusionxinvest.com/insight/10616/where-now-gauss-fusion/", "title": "Where now Gauss Fusion?", "publisher": "FusionXInvest", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "Grid target given only as 'mid-2040s'. Plant cost is an order-of-magnitude estimate. No site or power rating stated in the sources reviewed. Funding not disclosed.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "helical-fusion-helix-haruka", "name": "Helix HARUKA (Helical Fusion)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "JP", "region": "asia", "location": "National Institute for Fusion Science campus, Toki, Gifu", "status": "under_construction", "summary": "Helix HARUKA is Helical Fusion's integrated demonstration device under construction at NIFS in Toki, Gifu, to test HTS magnets and blanket technology for its heliotron (helical stellarator) concept. It precedes Helix KANATA, a planned net-electricity plant; Helical Fusion has raised about JPY 13.15 billion including grants and loans.", "developer": "Helical Fusion", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "stellarator", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": "Under construction at NIFS campus, Toki City", "funding_raised": 13150000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": null, "regulatory_note": null, "funding_as_of": "2026-10-08", "currency": "JPY", "milestones": [ { "date": "2026-04-28", "event": "Helical Fusion closed a Series B first tranche of about $16.9 million.", "source": "https://www.fusionenergybase.com/organizations/helical-fusion" }, { "date": "2026-10-08", "event": "Helical Fusion's Series B second close raised JPY 3.23 billion with Fuji Electric joining as strategic investor, taking cumulative funding to about JPY 13.15 billion.", "source": "https://finance.yahoo.com/energy/articles/fuji-electric-joins-helical-fusion-000000265.html" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://finance.yahoo.com/energy/articles/fuji-electric-joins-helical-fusion-000000265.html", "title": "Fuji Electric Joins Helical Fusion as Strategic Investor and Official Partner as Series B Second Close Raises JPY 3.23 Billion", "publisher": "Business Wire via Yahoo Finance", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.helicalfusion.com/post/helical-fusion-which-is-advancing-the-practical-application-of-fusion-energy-has-collaborated-with", "title": "Helical Fusion completes critical components for Helix HARUKA", "publisher": "Helical Fusion", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.fusionenergybase.com/organizations/helical-fusion", "title": "Helical Fusion", "publisher": "Fusion Energy Base", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "concept \"Stellarator\" covers Helical Fusion's heliotron (LHD-derived) design. private funding raised includes grants and loans. April 2026 tranche from Fusion Energy Base listing (secondary). Commercial power targeted in the 2030s via Helix KANATA.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [ "org:helical-fusion" ], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "energy-singularity-hh170", "name": "HH170 (Energy Singularity)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "CN", "region": "asia", "location": "Shanghai", "status": "design", "summary": "HH170 is Energy Singularity's planned high-field HTS tokamak intended to reach an energy gain Q above 10 to show the commercial feasibility of fusion, to be followed by an HH380 power demonstrator. A first HH170 central-solenoid prototype passed 20 K current testing in June 2025.", "developer": "Energy Singularity", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "tokamak", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": null, "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2024-06", "event": "Energy Singularity said HH170 engineering design would begin in early 2025, after HH70 first plasma.", "source": "https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202406/1314447.shtml" }, { "date": "2025-06-12", "event": "The first HH170 central-solenoid prototype passed 20 K current-carrying tests.", "source": "https://energysingularity.cn/en/news.php" }, { "date": "2026-06-17", "event": "Energy Singularity reported a 26.7 T cryogen-free HTS magnet, part of its high-field magnet programme for HH170.", "source": "https://energysingularity.cn/en/news.php" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://energysingularity.cn/en/news.php", "title": "News", "publisher": "Energy Singularity", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://energysingularity.cn/en/news/news-018.html", "title": "China may welcome the 'first kilowatt-hour' of controlled nuclear fusion", "publisher": "Energy Singularity", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202406/1314447.shtml", "title": "China's commercial 'artificial sun' achieves first discharge", "publisher": "Global Times", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://fusionxinvest.com/news/2942/energy-singularity-claims-net-gain-first/", "title": "Energy Singularity achieves first plasma", "publisher": "FusionXInvest", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "low", "notes": "Q>10 is Q_sci. Secondary sources cite a 2027 completion goal for HH170; not confirmed by company sources reviewed, so no target year set. Company reportedly seeking ~$500m for HH170 (FusionXInvest, unverified).", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "energy-singularity-hh70", "name": "HH70 (Energy Singularity)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "CN", "region": "asia", "location": "Shanghai", "status": "operating", "summary": "HH70 is Energy Singularity's compact tokamak in Shanghai, the world's first fully high-temperature-superconducting (HTS) tokamak, which achieved first plasma in June 2024. In early 2026 it ran steady-state long-pulse plasmas of up to 1,337 seconds.", "developer": "Energy Singularity", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "tokamak", "fuel": "D-D", "purpose": "research", "first_plasma": "2024-06-18", "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": null, "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2024-06-18", "event": "HH70 achieved first plasma as the world's first fully HTS tokamak.", "source": "https://energysingularity.cn/en/news.php" }, { "date": "2024-12-31", "event": "HH70's toroidal magnetic field exceeded 1 tesla.", "source": "https://energysingularity.cn/en/news.php" }, { "date": "2026-01-07", "event": "HH70 sustained 120 seconds of steady-state plasma.", "source": "https://energysingularity.cn/en/news.php" }, { "date": "2026-02-02", "event": "HH70 reached 1,337 seconds of steady-state long-pulse plasma operation.", "source": "https://energysingularity.cn/en/news.php" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://energysingularity.cn/en/news.php", "title": "News", "publisher": "Energy Singularity", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202406/1314447.shtml", "title": "China's commercial 'artificial sun' achieves first discharge", "publisher": "Global Times", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "Funding: company announced ~RMB 400m seed (2022) and ~RMB 400m Pre-A (2023); cumulative total not stated, so private funding raised not recorded. Pulse-length claims are company-reported; plasma parameters not stated. Experiments use hydrogen/deuterium (fuel field approximate).", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "inertia-pilot-plant", "name": "Inertia Enterprises laser fusion plant", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": null, "status": "concept", "summary": "Inertia Enterprises, founded in 2024 by Twilio co-founder Jeff Lawson with NIF scientists Annie Kritcher and Mike Dunne, plans a laser inertial fusion power plant based on LLNL's NIF ignition physics. It raised a $450 million Series A in February 2026 and intends to begin plant construction in 2030.", "developer": "Inertia Enterprises", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "inertial-laser", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "pilot-plant", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "Strategic partnership projects (SPPs) with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory", "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2026", "event": "Inertia signed public-private partnership agreements with LLNL to scale fusion target performance and production.", "source": "https://inertia.com/press/inertia-llnl-partnership/" }, { "date": "2026-02-11", "event": "Inertia raised a $450 million Series A led by Bessemer Venture Partners with GV and others.", "source": "https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/11/twilio-co-founders-fusion-power-startup-raises-450m-from-bessemer-and-alphabets-gv/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/11/twilio-co-founders-fusion-power-startup-raises-450m-from-bessemer-and-alphabets-gv/", "title": "Twilio co-founder's fusion power startup raises $450M from Bessemer and Alphabet's GV", "publisher": "TechCrunch", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/02/11/3236274/0/en/inertia-raises-450-million-to-commercialize-the-only-proven-fusion-science.html", "title": "Inertia raises $450 million to commercialize the only proven fusion science", "publisher": "GlobeNewswire", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://inertia.com/press/inertia-llnl-partnership/", "title": "Inertia Enterprises Signs Landmark Public-Private Partnership with LLNL", "publisher": "Inertia Enterprises", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "Construction start 2030 is a company intention; no site or power rating disclosed. private funding raised not recorded because pre-Series A funding is not disclosed (the $450M Series A is the known figure). Plant design needs a 10 kJ, 10 Hz laser architecture.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "type-one-infinity-one", "name": "Infinity One (Type One Energy)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": "TVA Bull Run Energy Complex, Clinton, Tennessee", "status": "licensing", "summary": "Infinity One is Type One Energy's prototype stellarator and workforce-training facility, to be installed in a repurposed section of TVA's retired Bull Run coal plant. It will not sell electricity; groundbreaking has slipped to the first half of 2027 with commissioning targeted for 2029.", "developer": "Type One Energy", "developer_type": "public-private", "concept": "stellarator", "fuel": null, "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": "2029", "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": "Retired TVA Bull Run coal plant; groundbreaking planned H1 2027", "funding_raised": 400000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "DOE Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program awardee; TVA site partnership", "regulatory_note": "Tennessee (TDEC) issued the first US fusion-specific byproduct material license for Project Infinity at Bull Run on 2026-08-31 under state rules effective 2026-06-09.", "funding_as_of": "2026-10-06", "currency": "USD", "milestones": [ { "date": "2026-01-30", "event": "Type One filed an initial byproduct material licence application for its Bull Run fusion project with TVA and TDEC.", "source": "https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/type-one-energy-initiates-licensing-of-fusion-power-plant" }, { "date": "2026-08-31", "event": "Tennessee issued Type One the first US fusion-specific byproduct material license for Project Infinity at Bull Run.", "source": "https://www.crbcnews.com/articles/6a972cfbad32c2ff1918a39a" }, { "date": "2026-10-06", "event": "Type One closed a $200 million Series B and said Infinity One groundbreaking would move to the first half of 2027.", "source": "https://www.enr.com/articles/63801-type-one-raises-200m-in-series-b-round-as-tennessee-fusion-project-nears-construction" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/type-one-energy-initiates-licensing-of-fusion-power-plant", "title": "Type One Energy initiates licensing of fusion power plant", "publisher": "World Nuclear News", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://typeoneenergy.com/blog/a-regulatory-breakthrough-for-fusion-the-bull-run-energy-complex/", "title": "A Regulatory Breakthrough for Fusion: The Bull Run Energy Complex", "publisher": "Type One Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.crbcnews.com/articles/6a972cfbad32c2ff1918a39a", "title": "Tennessee Grants First U.S. Fusion License", "publisher": "CRBC News", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.enr.com/articles/63801-type-one-raises-200m-in-series-b-round-as-tennessee-fusion-project-nears-construction", "title": "Type One Raises $200M in Series B Round as Tennessee Fusion Project Nears Construction", "publisher": "ENR", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://mlq.ai/news/type-one-energy-raises-200m-for-400-mw-fusion-plant/", "title": "Type One Energy Raises $200M for 400-MW Fusion Plant", "publisher": "MLQ", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.ksl.com/article/51632922/fusion-firm-type-one-in-200-million-siemens-energy-backed-raise", "title": "Fusion firm Type One in $200 million Siemens Energy-backed raise (Reuters)", "publisher": "Reuters via KSL", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "developer type set to public-private given TVA (federal utility) partnership; Type One itself is private. private funding raised is the company-wide 'more than $400 million' (Reuters/PitchBook) after the $200M Series B (Oct 2026). Whether the Aug 2026 license covers Infinity One, Infinity Two or both is not clear from available reporting. first plasma target reflects 2029 commissioning/startup.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [ "design:infinity-one", "org:type-one-energy" ], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "type-one-infinity-two", "name": "Infinity Two (Type One Energy / TVA)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": "TVA Bull Run Energy Complex, Clinton, Tennessee", "status": "licensing", "summary": "Infinity Two is Type One Energy's planned ~400 MWe stellarator fusion power plant at TVA's Bull Run site, under a 2025 TVA letter of intent. Conventional-island construction could start in 2028 with the fusion island from 2030, targeting grid power in the mid-2030s.", "developer": "Type One Energy", "developer_type": "public-private", "concept": "stellarator", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "commercial-plant", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": 400, "offtakers": [ "Tennessee Valley Authority (letter of intent)" ], "site_status": "TVA Bull Run site; TVA letter of intent Sept 2025, final TVA board decision pending", "funding_raised": 400000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": null, "regulatory_note": "Byproduct-material licence application filed Jan 2026; Tennessee issued a fusion licence for Project Infinity on 2026-08-31.", "funding_as_of": "2026-10-06", "currency": "USD", "milestones": [ { "date": "2025-09", "event": "TVA issued a letter of intent covering construction of one or more Infinity Two plants at Bull Run.", "source": "https://www.enr.com/articles/63801-type-one-raises-200m-in-series-b-round-as-tennessee-fusion-project-nears-construction" }, { "date": "2026-01-30", "event": "Type One filed an initial licence application for the Infinity Two plant (then 350 MWe) at Bull Run.", "source": "https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/type-one-energy-initiates-licensing-of-fusion-power-plant" }, { "date": "2026-08-31", "event": "Tennessee issued the first US fusion-specific byproduct material license for Project Infinity.", "source": "https://www.crbcnews.com/articles/6a972cfbad32c2ff1918a39a" }, { "date": "2026-10-06", "event": "Type One closed a $200 million Series B; planned Infinity Two capacity was cited at 400 MW, up from 350 MW.", "source": "https://www.enr.com/articles/63801-type-one-raises-200m-in-series-b-round-as-tennessee-fusion-project-nears-construction" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/type-one-energy-initiates-licensing-of-fusion-power-plant", "title": "Type One Energy initiates licensing of fusion power plant", "publisher": "World Nuclear News", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://typeoneenergy.com/blog/a-regulatory-breakthrough-for-fusion-the-bull-run-energy-complex/", "title": "A Regulatory Breakthrough for Fusion: The Bull Run Energy Complex", "publisher": "Type One Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.crbcnews.com/articles/6a972cfbad32c2ff1918a39a", "title": "Tennessee Grants First U.S. Fusion License", "publisher": "CRBC News", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.enr.com/articles/63801-type-one-raises-200m-in-series-b-round-as-tennessee-fusion-project-nears-construction", "title": "Type One Raises $200M in Series B Round as Tennessee Fusion Project Nears Construction", "publisher": "ENR", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.ksl.com/article/51632922/fusion-firm-type-one-in-200-million-siemens-energy-backed-raise", "title": "Fusion firm Type One in $200 million Siemens Energy-backed raise (Reuters)", "publisher": "Reuters via KSL", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "private funding raised is the company-wide 'more than $400 million' (Reuters/PitchBook) after the Oct 2026 Series B. Grid target stated as 'mid-2030s' (no specific year). TVA's commitment is an LOI, not a PPA.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [ "design:infinity-two", "org:type-one-energy" ], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "iter", "name": "ITER", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "FR", "region": "europe", "location": "Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (Cadarache), Provence", "status": "under_construction", "summary": "ITER is the 35-nation intergovernmental tokamak under construction in southern France, designed to produce 500 MW of fusion power (Q=10). Under the 2024 baseline, research operations start in 2034 and deuterium-tritium operation in 2039; by July 2026 six of nine vacuum-vessel sector modules were in the tokamak pit.", "developer": "ITER Organization (EU, China, India, Japan, Korea, Russia, US)", "developer_type": "public", "concept": "tokamak", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "research", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": "2034", "net_energy_target": "2039", "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": "Under construction at Cadarache; tokamak assembly ~two-thirds of vacuum vessel modules installed", "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "Intergovernmental: Europe ~45% of construction cost as host; six other members share the rest equally (largely in-kind)", "regulatory_note": "Licensed by the French nuclear safety authority (ASN, now ASNR) as a basic nuclear installation (INB); the 2024 baseline required a revised safety file.", "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2024-07", "event": "ITER presented its Baseline 2024: Start of Research Operation in 2034 and deuterium-tritium operation in 2039, replacing the 2025 first-plasma date.", "source": "https://iter.org/sites/default/files/media/2024-07/baseline_press_conference_summary_july-2024_b.pdf" }, { "date": "2024-07", "event": "The rebaseline was reported to add about €5 billion to costs, with a switch from beryllium to tungsten first wall.", "source": "https://physicsworld.com/a/iter-fusion-reactor-hit-by-massive-decade-long-delay-and-e5bn-price-hike/" }, { "date": "2025-04", "event": "ITER completed all its cryopumps as SPARC's assembly began, per World Nuclear News.", "source": "https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/assembly-starts-of-sparc-as-iter-cryopumps-completed" }, { "date": "2026-07-28", "event": "ITER lowered the sixth of nine vacuum-vessel sector modules into the pit, putting two-thirds of the tokamak core in place; final module now expected mid-2027.", "source": "https://www.iter.org/node/35141" }, { "date": "2026-09", "event": "ITER reported substantial progress in assembly and installation work, including preparations for vacuum-vessel welding.", "source": "https://www.ans.org/news/article-8375/iter-reports-substantial-progress-in-assembly-and-installation-work/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://iter.org/sites/default/files/media/2024-07/baseline_press_conference_summary_july-2024_b.pdf", "title": "Baseline press conference summary, July 2024", "publisher": "ITER Organization", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.iter.org/node/35141", "title": "Two-thirds of ITER tokamak core now in place", "publisher": "ITER Organization", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://physicsworld.com/a/iter-fusion-reactor-hit-by-massive-decade-long-delay-and-e5bn-price-hike/", "title": "ITER fusion reactor hit by massive decade-long delay and €5bn price hike", "publisher": "Physics World", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.ans.org/news/article-8375/iter-reports-substantial-progress-in-assembly-and-installation-work/", "title": "ITER reports 'substantial progress' in assembly and installation work", "publisher": "ANS Nuclear Newswire", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/assembly-starts-of-sparc-as-iter-cryopumps-completed", "title": "Assembly starts of SPARC, as ITER cryopumps completed", "publisher": "World Nuclear News", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "high", "notes": "first plasma target holds the 2034 Start of Research Operation (D-D, with full plasma current ~2036); net energy target holds the 2039 start of D-T operation, when Q=10 (Q_sci, not Q_eng) is pursued. ITER will not generate electricity. Official total cost not published; the €5bn rebaseline increase is a press estimate.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [ "org:iter-organization" ], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "jet", "name": "JET (Joint European Torus)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "GB", "region": "europe", "location": "Culham Campus, Oxfordshire", "status": "shut_down", "summary": "JET was Europe's flagship tokamak at Culham and for decades the largest operating tokamak, the only one apart from TFTR to run deuterium-tritium campaigns. Its final D-T campaign set a 69 MJ fusion energy record; it ceased plasma operations in December 2023 and is being decommissioned and repurposed by UKAEA.", "developer": "UKAEA / EUROfusion", "developer_type": "public", "concept": "tokamak", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "research", "first_plasma": "1983", "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "EU (EUROfusion/Euratom) and UK government", "regulatory_note": "In decommissioning and repurposing (programme expected to run to around 2040).", "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2021", "event": "JET produced 59 MJ of fusion energy in a D-T campaign, then a record.", "source": "https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/jet-s-swansong-experiments-break-fusion-record/" }, { "date": "2023-10", "event": "JET's final D-T campaign (DTE3) produced a record 69 MJ of fusion energy over about 5 seconds using 0.2 mg of fuel.", "source": "https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/jet-s-swansong-experiments-break-fusion-record/" }, { "date": "2023-12", "event": "JET ended plasma operations and entered decommissioning.", "source": "https://euro-fusion.org/eurofusion-news/jets-final-fusion-campaigns-set-a-new-energy-record-and-hand-iter-a-legacy-of-irreplaceable-data/" }, { "date": "2026-08-05", "event": "EUROfusion published a synthesis of JET's final campaigns, describing the 69 MJ result as the highest ever produced by a fusion device.", "source": "https://euro-fusion.org/eurofusion-news/jets-final-fusion-campaigns-set-a-new-energy-record-and-hand-iter-a-legacy-of-irreplaceable-data/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://euro-fusion.org/eurofusion-news/jets-final-fusion-campaigns-set-a-new-energy-record-and-hand-iter-a-legacy-of-irreplaceable-data/", "title": "JET's final fusion campaigns set a new energy record and hand ITER a legacy of irreplaceable data", "publisher": "EUROfusion", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/jet-s-swansong-experiments-break-fusion-record/", "title": "JET's swansong experiments break fusion record", "publisher": "The Chemical Engineer", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "high", "notes": "first plasma 1983 is the widely cited date; EUROfusion page only says 'over 40 years'. The DTE3 record was announced Feb 2024; month of the shot (late 2023) per secondary coverage.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "jt-60sa", "name": "JT-60SA", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "JP", "region": "asia", "location": "Naka, Ibaraki", "status": "operating", "summary": "JT-60SA is the world's largest operating superconducting tokamak, built jointly by Japan (QST) and the EU (Fusion for Energy) as an ITER satellite. After first plasma in October 2023 it was shut down for upgrades; integrated commissioning restarted in 2026, with a roughly six-month experimental campaign expected from the end of 2026.", "developer": "QST (Japan) and Fusion for Energy (EU)", "developer_type": "public", "concept": "tokamak", "fuel": "D-D", "purpose": "research", "first_plasma": "2023-10-23", "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "EU-Japan Broader Approach agreement", "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2023-10-23", "event": "JT-60SA achieved first plasma.", "source": "https://fusionforenergy.europa.eu/?p=16217" }, { "date": "2026-03", "event": "Europe and Japan restarted JT-60SA integrated commissioning after upgrades including new in-vessel coils, first wall, divertor and heating systems.", "source": "https://fusionforenergy.europa.eu/?p=16217" }, { "date": "2026-05", "event": "ANS reported JT-60SA upgraded and ready for restart, with over 150 research proposals under review.", "source": "https://www.ans.org/news/2026-05-15/article-8036/jt60sa-upgraded-and-ready-for-restart/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://fusionforenergy.europa.eu/?p=16217", "title": "Europe and Japan restart JT-60SA", "publisher": "Fusion for Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.ans.org/news/2026-05-15/article-8036/jt60sa-upgraded-and-ready-for-restart/", "title": "JT-60SA upgraded and ready for restart", "publisher": "ANS Nuclear Newswire", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "high", "notes": "Status \"Operating\" reflects the machine being in commissioning/restart rather than a long shutdown; plasma experiments (OP2) expected from end-2026.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [ "org:fusion-for-energy" ], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "openstar-junior", "name": "Junior levitated dipole (OpenStar Technologies)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "NZ", "region": "oceania", "location": "Wellington", "status": "operating", "summary": "Junior is OpenStar Technologies' levitated-dipole experiment in New Zealand, using a floating HTS magnet to confine plasma; it achieved first plasmas in late 2024. A next prototype, Tahi, with a field up to 20 T, is backed by NZD 35 million from the New Zealand government.", "developer": "OpenStar Technologies", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "other", "fuel": null, "purpose": "research", "first_plasma": "2024", "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "NZD 35m Regional Infrastructure Fund commitment for Tahi; Ara Ake support", "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2024", "event": "OpenStar achieved first plasmas in the Junior levitated dipole experiment.", "source": "https://arxiv.org/html/2508.17691v1" }, { "date": "2026-02", "event": "OpenStar held its first public demonstration of a levitated magnet confining plasma; the NZ government committed NZD 35 million to its next prototype, Tahi.", "source": "https://world-nuclear-news.org/articles/openstar-demonstrates-dipole-fusion-reactor-concept" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://arxiv.org/html/2508.17691v1", "title": "Design and initial results from the 'Junior' Levitated Dipole Experiment", "publisher": "arXiv / OpenStar", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://world-nuclear-news.org/articles/openstar-demonstrates-dipole-fusion-reactor-concept", "title": "OpenStar demonstrates dipole fusion reactor concept", "publisher": "World Nuclear News", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "concept \"Other\" = levitated dipole. 'Late 2024' first plasma per arXiv paper (month widely reported as November 2024, not verified). Total private funding not stated.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "k-demo", "name": "K-DEMO (Korean fusion demonstration reactor)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "KR", "region": "asia", "location": null, "status": "concept", "summary": "K-DEMO is South Korea's planned tokamak demonstration power plant, with government-approved top-tier requirements (2023) for more than 500 MWe peak electrical output. In 2026 the science ministry began design work on a 'Korean innovative fusion demonstration reactor' aiming to demonstrate fusion electricity in the 2030s, alongside a compact HTS pilot device.", "developer": "Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE) / Ministry of Science and ICT", "developer_type": "public", "concept": "tokamak", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": 500, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "Korean government fusion R&D budget of 112.4 billion won in 2026", "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2023", "event": "The Korean government approved top-tier requirements for K-DEMO, including maximum electrical power above 500 MWe.", "source": "https://conferences.iaea.org/event/392/contributions/35845/attachments/19823/36305/(2025-10-18,%20FEC)%20K-DEMO%20and%20CPD%20v2.pdf" }, { "date": "2025-10-18", "event": "KFE presented the K-DEMO reference design (R0=6.8 m, BT=6.5 T) and a compact pilot device plan at the IAEA Fusion Energy Conference.", "source": "https://conferences.iaea.org/event/392/contributions/35845/attachments/19823/36305/(2025-10-18,%20FEC)%20K-DEMO%20and%20CPD%20v2.pdf" }, { "date": "2026-01-26", "event": "The science ministry finalized its 2026 fusion R&D action plan, starting design work on a Korean innovative fusion demonstration reactor to bring power demonstration into the 2030s.", "source": "https://www.dongascience.com/en/news/76051" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://conferences.iaea.org/event/392/contributions/35845/attachments/19823/36305/(2025-10-18,%20FEC)%20K-DEMO%20and%20CPD%20v2.pdf", "title": "Establishment and Progress of Korean Fusion Reactor Design Activities (IAEA FEC 2025)", "publisher": "Korea Institute of Fusion Energy / IAEA", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.dongascience.com/en/news/76051", "title": "South Korea Ramps Up Push for 2030s Fusion Power Demonstration", "publisher": "Dongascience", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "The 'innovative fusion demonstration reactor' may supersede the classic K-DEMO design; reference design net electric output was 329 MW in one scan. Compact pilot device (CPD) conceptual design 2026-2030, engineering design 2031-2035.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "kstar", "name": "KSTAR", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "KR", "region": "asia", "location": "Daejeon", "status": "operating", "summary": "KSTAR is South Korea's superconducting research tokamak run by the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE). After a tungsten divertor upgrade it held 100 million °C ions for 48 seconds and H-mode for 102 seconds in its 2023-24 campaign; its goal is 300 seconds of 100 million °C operation.", "developer": "Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE)", "developer_type": "public", "concept": "tokamak", "fuel": "D-D", "purpose": "research", "first_plasma": "2008-07", "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "Korean Ministry of Science and ICT", "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2023", "event": "KSTAR completed installation of a tungsten divertor, doubling its heat-flux limit to ~10 MW/m².", "source": "https://thebrighterside.news/post/scientists-set-a-new-fusion-reaction-world-record-millions-of-degrees-hotter-than-sun" }, { "date": "2024-02", "event": "KSTAR sustained 100 million °C ion temperatures for 48 seconds and H-mode for 102 seconds in its Dec 2023-Feb 2024 campaign.", "source": "https://thebrighterside.news/post/scientists-set-a-new-fusion-reaction-world-record-millions-of-degrees-hotter-than-sun" }, { "date": "2025", "event": "KFE presented long-pulse results at the IAEA Fusion Energy Conference, restating the 300-second mission.", "source": "https://conferences.iaea.org/event/392/contributions/35683/attachments/19742/33794/IAEAFEC2025_Synopsis_LongPulse_HSKIM.pdf" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://thebrighterside.news/post/scientists-set-a-new-fusion-reaction-world-record-millions-of-degrees-hotter-than-sun", "title": "Scientists set a new fusion world record", "publisher": "The Brighter Side of News", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://fire.pppl.gov/KSTAR_First_Plasma_071508.pdf", "title": "KSTAR has successfully achieved its First Plasma Target", "publisher": "NFRI via PPPL", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://conferences.iaea.org/event/392/contributions/35683/attachments/19742/33794/IAEAFEC2025_Synopsis_LongPulse_HSKIM.pdf", "title": "IAEA FEC 2025 synopsis: KSTAR long pulse", "publisher": "IAEA / KFE", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "No 2025-26 campaign results with new records were found; the 300-second target (originally by 2026) is unconfirmed.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "general-fusion-lm26", "name": "LM26 (General Fusion)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "CA", "region": "north-america", "location": "Richmond, British Columbia", "status": "operating", "summary": "LM26 is General Fusion's magnetized target fusion demonstration machine, which compresses a plasma with a lithium liner driven by pistons. It achieved first plasma in February 2025 and in June 2026 reported ~0.72 keV electron temperatures from mechanical compression; General Fusion listed on Nasdaq (GFUZ) in July 2026.", "developer": "General Fusion", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "magnetized-target", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": "2025-02", "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": 400000000, "ticker": "NASDAQ: GFUZ", "public_funding": "Canadian federal support (Strategic Innovation Fund) among >$400m raised", "regulatory_note": null, "funding_as_of": "2026-01-27", "currency": "USD", "milestones": [ { "date": "2024-12", "event": "General Fusion completed assembly of LM26.", "source": "https://www.neimagazine.com/news/general-fusion-goes-public/" }, { "date": "2025-02", "event": "LM26 achieved first plasma.", "source": "https://www.neimagazine.com/news/general-fusion-goes-public/" }, { "date": "2025-04", "event": "LM26 performed its first plasma compression.", "source": "https://www.neimagazine.com/news/general-fusion-goes-public/" }, { "date": "2026-01-22", "event": "General Fusion signed a business combination agreement with Spring Valley Acquisition Corp. III to list on Nasdaq.", "source": "https://www.neimagazine.com/news/general-fusion-goes-public/" }, { "date": "2026-06-22", "event": "General Fusion reported LM26 electron temperatures of ~0.72 keV (8.4 million °C), more than tripling during mechanical compression.", "source": "https://www.stocktitan.net/sec-filings/SVAC/425-spring-valley-acquisition-corp-iii-business-combination-communica-e5490ad58138.html" }, { "date": "2026-07-13", "event": "General Fusion completed its merger with Spring Valley Acquisition Corp. III and began trading on Nasdaq as GFUZ with about US$150 million in cash.", "source": "https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/general-fusion-becomes-first-publicly-listed-fusion-company-2026-07-13-0" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.neimagazine.com/news/general-fusion-goes-public/", "title": "General Fusion goes public", "publisher": "Nuclear Engineering International", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.stocktitan.net/sec-filings/SVAC/425-spring-valley-acquisition-corp-iii-business-combination-communica-e5490ad58138.html", "title": "Spring Valley Acquisition Corp III Rule 425: LM26 reaches 0.72 keV", "publisher": "StockTitan / SEC filing", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/general-fusion-becomes-first-publicly-listed-fusion-company-2026-07-13-0", "title": "General Fusion Becomes First Publicly Listed Fusion Company", "publisher": "Nasdaq / PR Newswire", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/spring-valley-acquisition-corp-iii-shareholders-approve-business-combination-0", "title": "Spring Valley Acquisition Corp. III Shareholders Approve Business Combination with General Fusion", "publisher": "Nasdaq / PR Newswire", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "high", "notes": "private funding raised is NEI's 'more than $400m from private investors and the Canadian government' (currency of that figure not explicit; treated as USD). Listing included a $107.5M PIPE. Next targets: 1 keV, 10 keV, then scientific-breakeven-equivalent (Lawson), no dates. CEO cited ~2035 for a first-of-a-kind commercial plant (interview, not a formal target). Listing cash (~US$150M) is meant to fund the LM26 Lawson program milestones through 2028. Publicly traded since 2026-07-13 (NASDAQ: GFUZ); developer type kept \"Private\" meaning non-governmental.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "first-light-machine-4", "name": "Machine 4 (First Light Fusion)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "GB", "region": "europe", "location": "Oxford area", "status": "cancelled", "summary": "Machine 4 was First Light Fusion's proposed projectile-driven inertial fusion ignition demonstrator, developed with UKAEA and Tractebel. In March 2025 First Light dropped plans to build a power plant, discontinued Machine 4, and pivoted to supplying amplifier/target technology to partners and non-fusion customers.", "developer": "First Light Fusion", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "other", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": null, "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2024-02", "event": "First Light set a new attainable-pressure record on Sandia's Z Machine with its amplifier technology on its first shot.", "source": "https://firstlightfusion.com/media/first-light-fusion-announces-strategic-update/" }, { "date": "2025-03-03", "event": "First Light Fusion announced it would stop developing a fusion power plant and discontinue its Machine 4 ignition demonstrator.", "source": "https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/first-light-fusion-switches-strategy-drops-plans-to-develop-power-plant" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/first-light-fusion-switches-strategy-drops-plans-to-develop-power-plant", "title": "First Light Fusion switches strategy, drops plans to develop power plant", "publisher": "World Nuclear News", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://firstlightfusion.com/media/first-light-fusion-announces-strategic-update/", "title": "First Light Fusion announces strategic update", "publisher": "First Light Fusion", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "concept \"Other\" = projectile-driven (amplifier) inertial fusion. Included to document the pivot.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "marvel-fusion-csu-laser-facility", "name": "Marvel Fusion / Colorado State laser facility", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": "Fort Collins, Colorado", "status": "under_construction", "summary": "Marvel Fusion, a Munich-based laser fusion company using nanostructured targets and ultra-short-pulse lasers, is building a $150 million multi-petawatt laser research facility with Colorado State University, targeted for completion in 2026. It has also co-designed a conceptual fusion power plant with Siemens Energy.", "developer": "Marvel Fusion", "developer_type": "public-private", "concept": "inertial-laser", "fuel": "p-B11", "purpose": "research", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": "2026", "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": 385000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "EUR 215m in public cooperation projects; US DOE grant; CSU partnership", "regulatory_note": null, "funding_as_of": "2025-03-27", "currency": "EUR", "milestones": [ { "date": "2023-08-07", "event": "Colorado State University and Marvel Fusion announced a $150 million public-private laser facility partnership, targeted for completion in 2026.", "source": "https://source.colostate.edu/csu-marvel-fusion-groundbreaking-laser-facility/" }, { "date": "2025-03-27", "event": "Marvel Fusion extended its Series B to EUR 113 million, bringing total funding to EUR 385 million (EUR 170m private, EUR 215m public cooperation).", "source": "https://marvelfusion.com/series-b/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://marvelfusion.com/series-b/", "title": "Marvel Fusion extends Series B to EUR 113m", "publisher": "Marvel Fusion", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/germanys-marvel-fusion-raises-further-eur113-million", "title": "Germany's Marvel Fusion raises further EUR113 million", "publisher": "World Nuclear News", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://source.colostate.edu/csu-marvel-fusion-groundbreaking-laser-facility/", "title": "CSU and Marvel Fusion partner on next-generation $150M laser facility", "publisher": "Colorado State University", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "low", "notes": "first plasma target holds the facility completion target (2026), which may slip. private funding raised (EUR 385m) mixes private equity and public cooperation funding. Marvel's preferred fuel is p-B11 (aneutronic) per company materials; not re-verified here. developer type public-private reflects CSU partnership.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "mast-upgrade", "name": "MAST Upgrade", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "GB", "region": "europe", "location": "Culham Campus, Oxfordshire", "status": "operating", "summary": "MAST Upgrade is UKAEA's spherical tokamak at Culham, the main UK physics testbed feeding the STEP prototype plant. Its fifth experimental campaign (2025-26, 1,100+ plasmas) reached the machine's highest stable plasma pressure and tested exhaust and instability-control techniques.", "developer": "UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA)", "developer_type": "public", "concept": "spherical-tokamak", "fuel": "D-D", "purpose": "research", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "UK government (DESNZ) via UKAEA", "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2025", "event": "MAST Upgrade began its fifth experimental campaign with new enhancements.", "source": "https://www.ukaea.org/work/mast-upgrade/" }, { "date": "2026-08-06", "event": "UKAEA reported its fifth campaign produced more than 1,100 plasmas and the highest plasma pressure on the machine without destabilising events.", "source": "https://www.gov.uk/government/news/under-pressure-record-plasma-for-uk-flagship-machine" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/news/under-pressure-record-plasma-for-uk-flagship-machine", "title": "Under Pressure: Record plasma for UK flagship machine", "publisher": "UK Atomic Energy Authority (GOV.UK)", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.ukaea.org/work/mast-upgrade/", "title": "MAST Upgrade: the world's largest operational spherical tokamak", "publisher": "UKAEA", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "First plasma of MAST Upgrade (2020) not verified in the sources reviewed; not recorded.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "nif", "name": "National Ignition Facility (NIF)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": "Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California", "status": "operating", "summary": "NIF is the US laser inertial-confinement facility at Lawrence Livermore, the first to achieve fusion ignition (target gain >1) in December 2022. Its record shot on 7 April 2025 produced 8.6 MJ from 2.08 MJ of laser energy (target gain 4.13); it is a stockpile-stewardship science facility, not a power plant prototype.", "developer": "Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (NNSA)", "developer_type": "public", "concept": "inertial-laser", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "research", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "US NNSA (Department of Energy)", "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2022-12-05", "event": "NIF achieved fusion ignition, producing more fusion energy than the laser energy delivered to the target.", "source": "https://www.llnl.gov/news/three-peer-reviewed-papers-highlight-scientific-results-national-ignition-facility-record" }, { "date": "2024-02", "event": "NIF set a then-record yield of 5.2 MJ.", "source": "https://annual.llnl.gov/fy-2025/national-ignition-facility-2025" }, { "date": "2025-04-07", "event": "NIF produced a record 8.6 MJ from 2.08 MJ of laser energy, a target gain of 4.13.", "source": "https://annual.llnl.gov/fy-2025/national-ignition-facility-2025" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://annual.llnl.gov/fy-2025/national-ignition-facility-2025", "title": "National Ignition Facility - 2025 (LLNL annual report)", "publisher": "Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.llnl.gov/news/three-peer-reviewed-papers-highlight-scientific-results-national-ignition-facility-record", "title": "Three peer-reviewed papers highlight scientific results of NIF record yield shot", "publisher": "Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "high", "notes": "Gains are target gain (Q_sci for the capsule); wall-plug efficiency is far below 1. first plasma not recorded: the concept does not strictly apply to laser ICF.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [ "org:nnsa" ], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "tae-norm", "name": "Norm (TAE Technologies)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": "Foothill Ranch / Irvine, California", "status": "operating", "summary": "Norm is TAE Technologies' compact beam-driven field-reversed configuration (FRC) research device, rebuilt from its earlier Norman machine. In 2025 TAE showed FRCs can be formed by neutral-beam injection alone, simplifying the reactor design.", "developer": "TAE Technologies", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "frc", "fuel": "p-B11", "purpose": "research", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": 1300000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": null, "regulatory_note": null, "funding_as_of": "2025-12-18", "currency": "USD", "milestones": [ { "date": "2025-04-12", "event": "TAE published in Nature Communications that field-reversed configurations can be generated by neutral beam injection alone on Norm.", "source": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11993635" }, { "date": "2025-06", "event": "TAE reported Norm achieved stable plasma above 70 million °C and raised another $150 million.", "source": "https://www.ocbj.com/oc-homepage/tae-technologies-2025/" }, { "date": "2026-08-12", "event": "TAE reported more than 100,000 experiments, with its current machine running about 50 shots a day.", "source": "https://tae.com/news/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11993635", "title": "Generation of field-reversed configurations via neutral beam injection", "publisher": "Nature Communications / PMC", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.ocbj.com/oc-homepage/tae-technologies-2025/", "title": "TAE Technologies 2025", "publisher": "Orange County Business Journal", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://tae.com/news/", "title": "News and Press", "publisher": "TAE Technologies", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://tae.com/trump-media-and-technology-group-to-merge-with-tae-technologies/", "title": "Trump Media and Technology Group to Merge with TAE Technologies", "publisher": "TAE Technologies", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "TAE's long-term fuel goal is p-B11; near-term plant designs may use other fuels. private funding raised is TAE's 'more than $1.3 billion' private capital stated in the Dec 2025 merger release (OCBJ reported $1.35bn after the June 2025 round). first plasma date of Norm not found.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "novatron-n1", "name": "NOVATRON 1 (Novatron Fusion Group)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "SE", "region": "europe", "location": "KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm", "status": "operating", "summary": "NOVATRON 1 is Novatron Fusion Group's axisymmetric magnetic-mirror prototype at KTH in Stockholm, inaugurated in June 2025 as the EU's first private fully integrated fusion plasma system. The company aims to deliver baseload fusion power to the grid within about a decade.", "developer": "Novatron Fusion Group", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "mirror", "fuel": null, "purpose": "research", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": null, "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2025-06-09", "event": "NOVATRON 1 was officially inaugurated at KTH with a live plasma demonstration.", "source": "https://www.novatronfusion.com/news/2025-nordic-breakthrough-for-unlimited-fossil-free-energy-novatron-1-officially-inauguratednbsp" }, { "date": "2026-02-19", "event": "Novatron presented Nordic deployment opportunities and its mirror-machine roadmap at FusionX:Global.", "source": "https://www.novatronfusion.com/news/2026-highlighting-nordic-deployment-opportunities-and-mirror-machine-innovation-at-fusionxglobal" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.novatronfusion.com/news/2025-nordic-breakthrough-for-unlimited-fossil-free-energy-novatron-1-officially-inauguratednbsp", "title": "Nordic Breakthrough for Unlimited Fossil-Free Energy - NOVATRON 1 Officially Inaugurated", "publisher": "Novatron Fusion Group", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.novatronfusion.com/news/2026-highlighting-nordic-deployment-opportunities-and-mirror-machine-innovation-at-fusionxglobal", "title": "Highlighting Nordic deployment opportunities and mirror machine innovation at FusionX:Global", "publisher": "Novatron Fusion Group", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.novatronfusion.com/news", "title": "Newsroom", "publisher": "Novatron Fusion Group", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "low", "notes": "First plasma date and funding not disclosed in the sources reviewed; St1 is an owner. Later devices (N2/N3) not verified.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "avalanche-fusionwerx", "name": "Orbitron / FusionWERX (Avalanche Energy)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": "Richland, Washington", "status": "licensing", "summary": "Avalanche Energy is developing the Orbitron, a compact magneto-electrostatic (crossed-field) micro-fusion device, and in 2025 opened FusionWERX in Richland, Washington, as a commercial-scale test facility to host a D-T Q>1 test program. It raised $29 million in February 2026; tritium licensing for FusionWERX is expected in 2027.", "developer": "Avalanche Energy", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "other", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "$10m Washington State grant for FusionWERX; DOE/ARPA-E and NSF grants", "regulatory_note": "Broad-scope radioactive materials license including tritium handling (Washington Department of Health) expected in 2027.", "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2025", "event": "Avalanche reported a 300 kV vacuum high-voltage result (~5,000 kV/m), a key enabler for its Orbitron approach.", "source": "https://www.avalanchefusion.com/news-release/avalanche-energy-raises-29-million-following-plasma-physics-breakthroughs" }, { "date": "2025-04", "event": "Avalanche launched the FusionWERX fusion test facility in Richland, Washington.", "source": "https://www.avalanchefusion.com/news-release/avalanche-energy-raises-29-million-following-plasma-physics-breakthroughs" }, { "date": "2026-02-03", "event": "Avalanche raised $29 million led by RA Capital Management, mainly to scale FusionWERX.", "source": "https://www.avalanchefusion.com/news-release/avalanche-energy-raises-29-million-following-plasma-physics-breakthroughs" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.avalanchefusion.com/news-release/avalanche-energy-raises-29-million-following-plasma-physics-breakthroughs", "title": "Avalanche Energy Raises $29 Million Following Plasma Physics Breakthroughs", "publisher": "Avalanche Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.avalanchefusion.com/news-release/avalanche-energy-announces-new-fusionwerx-test-facility-to-accelerate-commercial-fusion-development", "title": "Avalanche Energy Announces New FusionWERX Test Facility", "publisher": "Avalanche Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "concept \"Other\" = orbitron / magneto-electrostatic confinement. Cumulative funding not disclosed. Target markets include irradiation and mobile power, not only grid power.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "helion-orion", "name": "Orion (Helion)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": "Malaga, Chelan County, Washington", "status": "under_construction", "summary": "Orion is Helion's planned 50 MW fusion power plant in Malaga, Washington, designed to supply Microsoft under the first fusion power purchase agreement (signed 2023). Construction of support buildings began in July 2025 and a county permit for the generator building followed; initial operations are targeted for 2028.", "developer": "Helion Energy", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "frc", "fuel": "D-He3", "purpose": "commercial-plant", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": "2028", "power_mw_target": 50, "offtakers": [ "Microsoft (50 MW PPA, 2023)", "Constellation (power marketer under Microsoft deal)" ], "site_status": "Leased from Chelan County PUD; SEPA MDNS issued; conditional use permit granted for generator building", "funding_raised": 1500000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": null, "regulatory_note": "Needs Washington Department of Health radioactive-materials licensing plus state stormwater and air permits; Washington is an NRC Agreement State.", "funding_as_of": "2026-06-04", "currency": "USD", "milestones": [ { "date": "2025", "event": "Chelan County granted a conditional use permit for Orion's fusion generator building.", "source": "https://www.geekwire.com/2025/helion-lands-permit-for-reactor-building-construction-at-washington-site-that-aims-to-be-first-fusion-plant/" }, { "date": "2025-07", "event": "Helion began construction of support buildings for Orion on land leased from Chelan County PUD in Malaga.", "source": "https://www.publicpower.org/node/28521" }, { "date": "2026-06-04", "event": "Helion raised $465 million, partly to support ongoing Orion construction.", "source": "https://helionenergy.com/newsroom/helion-raises-465-million-series-g-funding-round-to-meet-surging-global-demand-for-power" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.helionenergy.com/orion", "title": "Orion", "publisher": "Helion Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.publicpower.org/node/28521", "title": "Helion begins construction on fusion power plant", "publisher": "American Public Power Association", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.geekwire.com/2025/helion-lands-permit-for-reactor-building-construction-at-washington-site-that-aims-to-be-first-fusion-plant/", "title": "Helion lands permit for reactor building construction at Washington site", "publisher": "GeekWire", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://helionenergy.com/newsroom/helion-raises-465-million-series-g-funding-round-to-meet-surging-global-demand-for-power", "title": "Helion Raises $465 Million Series G Funding Round", "publisher": "Helion Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/13/fusion-startup-helion-hits-blistering-temps-as-it-races-toward-2028-deadline/", "title": "Fusion startup Helion hits blistering temps as it races toward 2028 deadline", "publisher": "TechCrunch", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "Constellation's role as power marketer comes from the 2023 Microsoft PPA announcement (not re-opened here). Some secondary guides claim full 50 MW output would not arrive until 2029-30; Helion maintains 2028 initial operations. Net-energy target not published.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [ "org:helion" ], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "xcimer-phoenix", "name": "Phoenix (Xcimer Energy)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": "Denver, Colorado", "status": "operating", "summary": "Phoenix is Xcimer Energy's excimer-laser prototype in Denver, which Xcimer calls the largest privately owned laser system in the world (>1 kJ pulses). It demonstrates the laser architecture for Xcimer's planned Anvil (2028), Vulcan (2031) and Athena (2035) machines.", "developer": "Xcimer Energy", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "inertial-laser", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "research", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": 200000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "DOE Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program awardee", "regulatory_note": null, "funding_as_of": "2026-06", "currency": "USD", "milestones": [ { "date": "2026", "event": "Xcimer began operating its Phoenix laser system in Denver, with pulse energies above 1 kJ.", "source": "https://www.ans.org/news/2026-06-10/article-8111/doe-approves-xcimer-laser-fusion-power-plant-design/" }, { "date": "2026-06-10", "event": "DOE approved Xcimer's preconceptual design for its Athena power plant and its technology roadmap under the Milestone program.", "source": "https://www.ans.org/news/2026-06-10/article-8111/doe-approves-xcimer-laser-fusion-power-plant-design/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.ans.org/news/2026-06-10/article-8111/doe-approves-xcimer-laser-fusion-power-plant-design/", "title": "DOE approves Xcimer laser fusion power plant design", "publisher": "ANS Nuclear Newswire", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://xcimer.energy/faq/", "title": "FAQ", "publisher": "Xcimer Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "private funding raised is Xcimer's 'nearly $200 million' across seed and Series A (FAQ, undated, checked 2026-10-11); approximate. Phoenix is a laser demonstrator, not a fusion-yield device.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [ "org:xcimer-energy" ], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "helion-polaris", "name": "Polaris (Helion)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": "Everett, Washington", "status": "operating", "summary": "Polaris is Helion's seventh-generation pulsed FRC/magneto-inertial prototype, intended to demonstrate electricity recovery directly from fusion. In early 2026 Helion reported 150 million °C plasmas and measurable D-T fusion, the first by a private company.", "developer": "Helion Energy", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "frc", "fuel": "D-He3", "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": "2024-12", "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": 1500000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "DOE Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program awardee", "regulatory_note": "Received Washington State approval to possess and use tritium for D-T operation.", "funding_as_of": "2026-06-04", "currency": "USD", "milestones": [ { "date": "2026-01", "event": "Polaris produced measurable deuterium-tritium fusion, which Helion says is a first for a privately developed machine.", "source": "https://www.helionenergy.com/newsroom/helion-achieves-new-fusion-energy-milestones" }, { "date": "2026-02-13", "event": "Helion reported Polaris plasma temperatures of 150 million °C (~13 keV), beating its prior 100 million °C record.", "source": "https://www.helionenergy.com/newsroom/helion-achieves-new-fusion-energy-milestones" }, { "date": "2026-06-04", "event": "Helion raised a $465 million Series G at a $15.5 billion valuation, bringing total invested capital to $1.5 billion.", "source": "https://helionenergy.com/newsroom/helion-raises-465-million-series-g-funding-round-to-meet-surging-global-demand-for-power" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.helionenergy.com/newsroom/helion-achieves-new-fusion-energy-milestones", "title": "Helion Achieves New Industry-First Fusion Energy Milestones", "publisher": "Helion Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/13/fusion-startup-helion-hits-blistering-temps-as-it-races-toward-2028-deadline/", "title": "Fusion startup Helion hits blistering temps as it races toward 2028 deadline", "publisher": "TechCrunch", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://helionenergy.com/newsroom/helion-raises-465-million-series-g-funding-round-to-meet-surging-global-demand-for-power", "title": "Helion Raises $465 Million Series G Funding Round", "publisher": "Helion Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/microsoft-backed-fusion-firm-helion-raises-465m-in-series-g-funding-round/", "title": "Microsoft-backed fusion firm Helion raises $465m in Series G", "publisher": "DatacenterDynamics", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "Helion says it began operating Polaris at the end of 2024 (first plasma given at month precision). Commercial fuel is D-He3 (not yet achieved); D-T runs were diagnostic. Helion has not published a Q target or electricity-recovery measurements for Polaris.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [ "org:helion" ], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "cfs-sparc", "name": "SPARC (Commonwealth Fusion Systems)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": "Devens, Massachusetts", "status": "under_construction", "summary": "SPARC is Commonwealth Fusion Systems' compact high-field HTS-magnet tokamak, built to show net fusion energy (Q>1). Assembly began in 2025 and the machine was about three-quarters built by April 2026, with first plasma now targeted for 2027.", "developer": "Commonwealth Fusion Systems", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "tokamak", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": "2027", "net_energy_target": "2027", "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": "Built on CFS's own Devens campus", "funding_raised": 3000000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "DOE Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program awardee", "regulatory_note": "Licensed under Massachusetts radiation-control (Agreement State) rules for fusion machines, not as a reactor.", "funding_as_of": "2025-08-28", "currency": "USD", "milestones": [ { "date": "2023-09-05", "event": "CFS reported Tokamak Hall weather-tight and ready for SPARC assembly.", "source": "https://cfs.energy/devens-campus/updates/" }, { "date": "2025-04", "event": "CFS installed the 75-tonne cryostat base, marking the start of SPARC tokamak assembly.", "source": "https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/assembly-starts-of-sparc-as-iter-cryopumps-completed" }, { "date": "2025-08-28", "event": "CFS raised an $863 million Series B2, bringing total capital raised to close to $3 billion.", "source": "https://cfs.energy/news-and-media/commonwealth-fusion-systems-raises-863-million-series-b2-round-to-accelerate-the-commercialization-of-fusion-energy" }, { "date": "2026-01", "event": "CFS announced installation of the first of SPARC's 18 toroidal field magnets and an AI digital-twin partnership with Nvidia and Siemens.", "source": "https://gigazine.net/gsc_news/en/20260107-cfs-nvidia-siemens-sparc" }, { "date": "2026-04-09", "event": "CFS said about three-quarters of SPARC construction was complete, with both vacuum-vessel halves and two TF magnets in Tokamak Hall.", "source": "https://blog.cfs.energy/our-sparc-fusion-facility-is-now-about-75-done-take-a-virtual-tour-of-the-progress/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://cfs.energy/news-and-media/commonwealth-fusion-systems-raises-863-million-series-b2-round-to-accelerate-the-commercialization-of-fusion-energy", "title": "Commonwealth Fusion Systems Raises $863 Million Series B2 Round", "publisher": "Commonwealth Fusion Systems", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://cfs.energy/devens-campus/updates/", "title": "Devens Events & Updates", "publisher": "Commonwealth Fusion Systems", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://blog.cfs.energy/our-sparc-fusion-facility-is-now-about-75-done-take-a-virtual-tour-of-the-progress/", "title": "Our SPARC fusion facility is now about 75% done", "publisher": "Commonwealth Fusion Systems", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/assembly-starts-of-sparc-as-iter-cryopumps-completed", "title": "Assembly starts of SPARC, as ITER cryopumps completed", "publisher": "World Nuclear News", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://gigazine.net/gsc_news/en/20260107-cfs-nvidia-siemens-sparc", "title": "CFS, Nvidia and Siemens SPARC digital twin; first magnets installed", "publisher": "Gigazine", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPARC_(tokamak)", "title": "SPARC (tokamak)", "publisher": "Wikipedia", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "high", "notes": "private funding raised is the company-wide figure ('close to $3 billion') per CFS's Aug 2025 release; the $863M B2 was the latest disclosed round. Net-energy target is Q_sci>1 (fusion power > plasma heating power), not Q_eng; CFS projects Q~10 potential. First plasma target slipped from 2025 to 2026 to 2027.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [ "design:sparc", "org:cfs" ], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "sst-1", "name": "SST-1 (Steady State Superconducting Tokamak)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "IN", "region": "asia", "location": "Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat", "status": "operating", "summary": "SST-1 is India's superconducting research tokamak at the Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, fully commissioned in 2013 after a rebuild. It has produced repeatable ~500 ms discharges; India plans a successor, SST-2, as a bridge toward an Indian DEMO.", "developer": "Institute for Plasma Research (Department of Atomic Energy)", "developer_type": "public", "concept": "tokamak", "fuel": "D-D", "purpose": "research", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "Indian Department of Atomic Energy", "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2005", "event": "SST-1 was fabricated at IPR.", "source": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steady_State_Superconducting_Tokamak" }, { "date": "2013", "event": "SST-1 was fully commissioned after an improved version was assembled in 2012.", "source": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steady_State_Superconducting_Tokamak" }, { "date": "2015", "event": "SST-1 was producing repeatable discharges of ~500 ms with currents above 75 kA at 1.5 T.", "source": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steady_State_Superconducting_Tokamak" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steady_State_Superconducting_Tokamak", "title": "Steady State Superconducting Tokamak", "publisher": "Wikipedia", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://inis.iaea.org/records/e0jrg-k5j10", "title": "Steady State Superconducting Tokamak (SST-1)", "publisher": "IAEA INIS", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "low", "notes": "No 2020s status found; operating status assumed from IPR programme references. currency not recorded.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "tokamak-energy-st40", "name": "ST40 (Tokamak Energy)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "GB", "region": "europe", "location": "Milton Park, Oxfordshire", "status": "operating", "summary": "ST40 is Tokamak Energy's high-field compact spherical tokamak, the first privately funded machine to reach 100 million °C ion temperatures. It is being upgraded with lithium-coated plasma-facing components under a $52m US DOE/UK DESNZ/company partnership and supports the UK STEP programme.", "developer": "Tokamak Energy", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "spherical-tokamak", "fuel": "D-D", "purpose": "research", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": 335000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "$52m ST40 lithium upgrade co-funded by US DOE and UK DESNZ; former DOE Milestone program awardee", "regulatory_note": null, "funding_as_of": "2024-11", "currency": "USD", "milestones": [ { "date": "2024-11", "event": "Tokamak Energy closed a $125 million round, bringing total raised since its 2009 spin-out to $335 million.", "source": "https://pulse2.com/tokamak-energy-125-million-closed-to-commercialize-transformative-fusion-and-magnet-tech/" }, { "date": "2024-12-05", "event": "US DOE, UK DESNZ and Tokamak Energy agreed a $52 million upgrade of ST40 with lithium-coated plasma-facing components.", "source": "https://world-nuclear-news.org/articles/us-and-uk-partner-with-tokamak-energy-on-st40-upgrade" }, { "date": "2026-04-14", "event": "UK Fusion Energy named Tokamak Energy Magnet Systems Partner for STEP under a £70 million contract that includes continued use of ST40.", "source": "https://tokamakenergy.com/2026/04/14/tokamak-energy-named-magnet-systems-partner-for-step-fusion-programme/" }, { "date": "2026-08-18", "event": "Tokamak Energy published its fusion pilot plant design in Nuclear Fusion while stating it will not go on to construct the plant itself.", "source": "https://tokamakenergy.com/2026/08/18/tokamak-energys-cocus-collection-featured-in-prestigious-nuclear-fusion-journal/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://world-nuclear-news.org/articles/us-and-uk-partner-with-tokamak-energy-on-st40-upgrade", "title": "US and UK partner with Tokamak Energy on ST40 upgrade", "publisher": "World Nuclear News", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://pulse2.com/tokamak-energy-125-million-closed-to-commercialize-transformative-fusion-and-magnet-tech/", "title": "Tokamak Energy: $125 Million Closed To Commercialize Transformative Fusion And Magnet Tech", "publisher": "Pulse 2.0", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://tokamakenergy.com/2026/04/14/tokamak-energy-named-magnet-systems-partner-for-step-fusion-programme/", "title": "Tokamak Energy named Magnet Systems Partner for STEP Fusion programme", "publisher": "Tokamak Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://tokamakenergy.com/2026/08/18/tokamak-energys-cocus-collection-featured-in-prestigious-nuclear-fusion-journal/", "title": "Tokamak Energy's 'Focus Collection' featured in Nuclear Fusion journal", "publisher": "Tokamak Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://tokamakenergy.com/2022/12/14/first-plasma-for-tokamak-energys-upgraded-st40-fusion-device/", "title": "First plasma for Tokamak Energy's upgraded ST40 fusion device", "publisher": "Tokamak Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "high", "notes": "Original ST40 first-plasma date not verified in the sources reviewed (left not recorded); the upgraded ST40 had first plasma in Dec 2022 per Tokamak Energy. The ST40 upgrade is expected operational in 2027 subject to appropriations. Company has pivoted toward HTS magnets (TE Magnetics) and partnering (STEP) rather than building its own plant.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "tokamak-energy-st80-hts", "name": "ST80-HTS (Tokamak Energy)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "GB", "region": "europe", "location": "UKAEA Culham Campus, Oxfordshire", "status": "design", "summary": "ST80-HTS was announced in 2022 as Tokamak Energy's next high-field HTS spherical tokamak, to be built at Culham with completion planned for 2026 as a step to a pilot plant. No construction progress has been reported, and in 2026 the company said it will not build its own pilot plant, focusing on HTS magnets and the STEP partnership.", "developer": "Tokamak Energy", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "spherical-tokamak", "fuel": null, "purpose": "demonstration", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": "2026", "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": "Site at UKAEA Culham Campus announced 2022/23; no construction reported", "funding_raised": 335000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": null, "regulatory_note": null, "funding_as_of": "2024-11", "currency": "USD", "milestones": [ { "date": "2022-10", "event": "Tokamak Energy announced ST80-HTS, an advanced HTS spherical tokamak prototype with build completion planned for 2026.", "source": "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tokamak-energy-announces-st80-hts-advanced-prototype-on-path-to-demonstrate-grid-ready-fusion-power-in-the-early-2030s-301659095.html" }, { "date": "2023", "event": "The UK government announced ST80-HTS would be built at UKAEA's Culham Campus.", "source": "https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tokamak-energys-fusion-prototype-to-be-built-at-ukaeas-campus" }, { "date": "2026-08-18", "event": "Tokamak Energy said it will not go on to construct its fusion pilot plant itself.", "source": "https://tokamakenergy.com/2026/08/18/tokamak-energys-cocus-collection-featured-in-prestigious-nuclear-fusion-journal/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tokamak-energy-announces-st80-hts-advanced-prototype-on-path-to-demonstrate-grid-ready-fusion-power-in-the-early-2030s-301659095.html", "title": "Tokamak Energy announces ST80-HTS advanced prototype", "publisher": "PR Newswire / Tokamak Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tokamak-energys-fusion-prototype-to-be-built-at-ukaeas-campus", "title": "Tokamak Energy's fusion prototype to be built at UKAEA's campus", "publisher": "GOV.UK", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.ans.org/news/tag-tokamak%20energy/", "title": "Articles tagged Tokamak Energy", "publisher": "ANS Nuclear Newswire", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://tokamakenergy.com/2026/08/18/tokamak-energys-cocus-collection-featured-in-prestigious-nuclear-fusion-journal/", "title": "Tokamak Energy's 'Focus Collection' featured in Nuclear Fusion journal", "publisher": "Tokamak Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "low", "notes": "Status kept as \"Design\" because no formal cancellation of ST80-HTS was found; community reports describe it as on hold pending funding. The 2026 first-plasma target is stale and almost certainly missed. GOV.UK announcement date given as 2023 (year only verified loosely).", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "proxima-stellaris", "name": "Stellaris (Proxima Fusion)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "DE", "region": "europe", "location": "Gundremmingen, Bavaria", "status": "design", "summary": "Stellaris is Proxima Fusion's design for the first commercial stellarator fusion power plant, planned on RWE's decommissioning Gundremmingen nuclear site in Bavaria and targeted to deliver power in the 2030s after the Alpha demonstrator.", "developer": "Proxima Fusion", "developer_type": "private", "concept": "stellarator", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "commercial-plant", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": "RWE's former Gundremmingen nuclear plant identified under 2026 MoU", "funding_raised": 650000000, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "Bavaria up to €400m; possible 20% state co-financing subject to federal funding", "regulatory_note": null, "funding_as_of": "2026-07-07", "currency": "EUR", "milestones": [ { "date": "2026-03-03", "event": "Proxima, RWE, Bavaria and IPP signed an MoU naming RWE's Gundremmingen site for the first stellarator power plant.", "source": "https://www.ans.org/news/article-7810/proxima-fusion-signs-mou-with-bavaria-rwe-and-max-planck-ipp-to-build-german-stellarator-power-plant/" }, { "date": "2026-07-07", "event": "RWE joined Proxima's €411 million round as a strategic investor and partner for the Gundremmingen plant.", "source": "https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/07/largest-european-fusion-investment-on-record-sees-proxima-fusion-raise-e411-million/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.proximafusion.com/program/stellaris", "title": "Stellaris", "publisher": "Proxima Fusion", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.ans.org/news/article-7810/proxima-fusion-signs-mou-with-bavaria-rwe-and-max-planck-ipp-to-build-german-stellarator-power-plant/", "title": "Proxima Fusion signs MOU with Bavaria, RWE, and Max Planck IPP", "publisher": "ANS Nuclear Newswire", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/07/largest-european-fusion-investment-on-record-sees-proxima-fusion-raise-e411-million/", "title": "Largest European fusion investment on record sees Proxima Fusion raise €411 million", "publisher": "EU-Startups", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "Grid target given only as 'the 2030s'; power rating not confirmed in the sources reviewed. RWE is a partner, not a contracted offtaker.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "step-west-burton", "name": "STEP Fusion (West Burton)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "GB", "region": "europe", "location": "West Burton, Bassetlaw, Nottinghamshire", "status": "design", "summary": "STEP is the UK government's prototype spherical-tokamak fusion power plant, to be built on the former West Burton coal power station site. Delivered by UK Fusion Energy with industrial partners, it is backed by £1.3 billion of a £2.5 billion fusion package and targets first operations in the early 2040s.", "developer": "UK Fusion Energy (UKAEA subsidiary)", "developer_type": "public", "concept": "spherical-tokamak", "fuel": "D-T", "purpose": "pilot-plant", "first_plasma": null, "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": "2040", "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": "West Burton (former EDF coal station) selected; non-statutory consultation Jan-Mar 2026; Development Consent Order to follow", "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "£1.3bn for STEP within £2.5bn UK fusion funding over five years (2025)", "regulatory_note": "UK regulates fusion via the Environment Agency and HSE rather than the nuclear site licensing regime; STEP needs a Development Consent Order.", "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2025", "event": "The UK government announced £2.5 billion for fusion, including £1.3 billion for STEP.", "source": "https://stepfusion.com/faqs/" }, { "date": "2026-01", "event": "STEP opened its first public (non-statutory) consultation, running to March 2026.", "source": "https://stepfusion.com/?p=18945" }, { "date": "2026-03", "event": "UK Fusion Energy selected the Kier/Nuvia ILIOS consortium as construction partner for a £200 million first phase.", "source": "https://www.construction.co.uk/construction-news/328538/ilios-consortium-selected-as-construction-partner-for-200m-step-fusion-phase" }, { "date": "2026-04-14", "event": "UK Fusion Energy awarded Tokamak Energy a £70 million Magnet Systems Partner contract.", "source": "https://stepfusion.com/tokamak-energy-magnet-partner/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://stepfusion.com/faqs/", "title": "STEP Fusion FAQs", "publisher": "UK Fusion Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://stepfusion.com/?p=18945", "title": "Have your say at STEP Fusion's first public consultation", "publisher": "UK Fusion Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.construction.co.uk/construction-news/328538/ilios-consortium-selected-as-construction-partner-for-200m-step-fusion-phase", "title": "ILIOS consortium selected as construction partner for £200m STEP Fusion phase", "publisher": "Construction.co.uk", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://stepfusion.com/tokamak-energy-magnet-partner/", "title": "Tokamak Energy named as Magnet Systems Partner for STEP Fusion programme", "publisher": "UK Fusion Energy", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "high", "notes": "grid power target 2040 reflects STEP's stated 2040 operations goal ('early 2040s' first operations); STEP aims to demonstrate net electricity, target size often quoted ~100 MWe net but not confirmed in the sources reviewed (target output not recorded).", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "wendelstein-7x", "name": "Wendelstein 7-X", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "DE", "region": "europe", "location": "Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern", "status": "operating", "summary": "Wendelstein 7-X is the world's largest optimized superconducting stellarator, run by the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics. In its OP 2.3 campaign ending 22 May 2025 it set a world record triple product for long (43-second) plasma discharges.", "developer": "Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP)", "developer_type": "public", "concept": "stellarator", "fuel": "D-D", "purpose": "research", "first_plasma": "2015-12-10", "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "German federal and state governments, EU (EUROfusion)", "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2015-12-10", "event": "Wendelstein 7-X produced its first plasma.", "source": "https://www.ipp.mpg.de/w7x" }, { "date": "2025-05-22", "event": "W7-X set a world-record triple product for long plasma discharges, sustained for 43 seconds, at the end of campaign OP 2.3.", "source": "https://www.ipp.mpg.de/5532945/w7x" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.ipp.mpg.de/5532945/w7x", "title": "Wendelstein 7-X sets new performance records in fusion research", "publisher": "Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/wendelstein-7-x-sets-new-fusion-performance-records", "title": "Wendelstein 7-X sets new fusion performance records", "publisher": "World Nuclear News", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.ipp.mpg.de/w7x", "title": "Wendelstein 7-X", "publisher": "Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "Operates with hydrogen (not D-T); fuel field set to D-D as nearest category. No 2026 campaign result found.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "west-tokamak", "name": "WEST (Tungsten Environment in Steady-state Tokamak)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "FR", "region": "europe", "location": "CEA Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance", "status": "operating", "summary": "WEST is CEA's upgraded Tore Supra tokamak with a full tungsten environment, used to test ITER-relevant long-pulse operation. On 12 February 2025 it held a plasma for 1,337 seconds, a world duration record; CEA aims to raise heating power from 2 MW to 10 MW for ~1,000-second pulses.", "developer": "CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission)", "developer_type": "public", "concept": "tokamak", "fuel": "D-D", "purpose": "research", "first_plasma": "2016-12", "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "CEA / EUROfusion", "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2024-12", "event": "WEST reached an 824-second plasma with 1.93 GJ of injected energy.", "source": "https://irfm.cea.fr/en/2025/02/west-sets-a-new-plasma-duration-record/" }, { "date": "2025-02-12", "event": "WEST sustained a hydrogen plasma for 1,337 seconds at ~50 million °C with 2 MW of heating, a world record for duration.", "source": "https://irfm.cea.fr/en/2025/02/west-sets-a-new-plasma-duration-record/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://irfm.cea.fr/en/2025/02/west-sets-a-new-plasma-duration-record/", "title": "WEST sets a new plasma duration record", "publisher": "CEA-IRFM", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://cea.fr/english/Pages/News/nuclear-fusion-west-beats-the-world-record-for-plasma-duration.aspx", "title": "Nuclear fusion: WEST beats the world record for plasma duration", "publisher": "CEA", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WEST_(formerly_Tore_Supra)", "title": "WEST (formerly Tore Supra)", "publisher": "Wikipedia", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "first plasma (Dec 2016, as WEST) per Wikipedia. No 2026 milestone found.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" }, { "slug": "realta-wham", "name": "WHAM (Wisconsin HTS Axisymmetric Mirror)", "vertical": "fusion-energy-companies", "country": "US", "region": "north-america", "location": "Wisconsin Plasma Physics Laboratory, Stoughton, Wisconsin", "status": "operating", "summary": "WHAM is a high-field (17 T HTS) axisymmetric magnetic mirror experiment built by UW-Madison with Realta Fusion and CFS-made magnets, which achieved first plasma in July 2024. It underpins Realta's tandem-mirror plant concept; in 2026 Realta partnered with utility MGE to explore a ≥200 MWe Wisconsin fusion plant by the mid-2030s.", "developer": "University of Wisconsin-Madison / Realta Fusion", "developer_type": "public-private", "concept": "mirror", "fuel": "D-D", "purpose": "research", "first_plasma": "2024-07-16", "first_plasma_target": null, "net_energy_target": null, "grid_power_target": null, "power_mw_target": null, "offtakers": [], "site_status": null, "funding_raised": null, "ticker": null, "public_funding": "ARPA-E funding for WHAM; Realta is a DOE Milestone program awardee; Wisconsin/Madison up to $55m for Realta Forge HQ", "regulatory_note": null, "currency": null, "milestones": [ { "date": "2024-07-16", "event": "WHAM achieved first plasma with 17 T HTS mirror magnets.", "source": "https://www.wisconsin.edu/all-in-wisconsin/story/first-plasma-marks-major-milestone-in-uw-madison-fusion-energy-research/" }, { "date": "2025-05-13", "event": "Realta Fusion raised an oversubscribed $36 million Series A.", "source": "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/realta-fusion-raises-36-million-series-a-to-advance-compact-scalable-modular-fusion-energy-302452726.html" }, { "date": "2026-09-03", "event": "Realta and Madison Gas and Electric announced a partnership, including MGE equity, to explore a fusion plant of at least 200 MWe in Wisconsin.", "source": "https://www.ans.org/news/2026-09-03/article-8363/realta-fusions-utility-partnership-boosts-fusion-energy-in-wisconsin/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.wisconsin.edu/all-in-wisconsin/story/first-plasma-marks-major-milestone-in-uw-madison-fusion-energy-research/", "title": "First plasma marks major milestone in UW-Madison fusion energy research", "publisher": "Universities of Wisconsin", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.ans.org/news/article-6242/wham-realta-gets-first-plasma-with-17-tesla-magnets-in-mirror-fusion-test/", "title": "WHAM: Realta gets first plasma with 17 Tesla magnets in mirror fusion test", "publisher": "ANS Nuclear Newswire", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/realta-fusion-raises-36-million-series-a-to-advance-compact-scalable-modular-fusion-energy-302452726.html", "title": "Realta Fusion Raises $36 Million Series A", "publisher": "PR Newswire / Realta Fusion", "type": "primary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" }, { "url": "https://www.ans.org/news/2026-09-03/article-8363/realta-fusions-utility-partnership-boosts-fusion-energy-in-wisconsin/", "title": "Realta Fusion's utility partnership boosts fusion energy in Wisconsin", "publisher": "ANS Nuclear Newswire", "type": "secondary", "checked_on": "2026-10-11" } ], "confidence": "medium", "notes": "Realta's cumulative funding not confirmed (launched with $12M in 2022; $36M Series A 2025), so private funding raised not recorded. The MGE plant (≥200 MWe, mid-2030s) is exploratory and has no separate record.", "related_slugs": [], "tracker_slug": null, "see_also": [], "entity_ids": [], "updated_at": "2026-10-11", "last_verified": "2026-10-11" } ] }