The Pacific Northwest fusion industry kicked off the annual Seattle Fusion Week on Monday. Hosted by CleanTech Alliance, the annual event brings together fusion energy companies, elected officials, research institutions, and more for educational presentations and networking. Here in the PNW there are four fusion companies, among roughly 45 worldwide, that are working to do what’s never been done before: use the power of the sun and stars here on Earth to produce electricity.
Zap Energy, founded in 2017, is one of the PNW’s four fusion companies and hit a new milestone earlier this year. Zap was able to create more than 1,000 consecutive plasmas (the state of matter required for fusion) over three hours. Each run provides a little more data, nudging the science another step closer to the goal of capturing “a star in a jar,” as Ben Levitt, Zap’s vice president of R&D, describes the reaction.
Helion Energy, founded in 2013, has a location in Everett and has started construction in Central Washington on what it hopes will be world’s first commercial fusion power plant- with a target for commercial power by 2028. The reactor’s electricity is earmarked for Microsoft data centers.
Avalanche Energy, founded in 2018, is taking a different approach with its desktop-sized fusion device. The company also has a Pentagon contract to develop technology for space propulsion and power generation. They are also launching FusionWERX, a commercial-scale testing facility for fusion technologies in Eastern Washington.
General Fusion, founded in 2002, had layoffs earlier this year but is making progress with its prototype reactor in B.C. that will be half the size of its intended commercial device. The company has made multiple pivots over the years, including significant technology changes and a canceled demonstration project in the United Kingdom but maintains a target for commercial power to the grid by “the early to mid-2030s”.
In addition to the four fusion companies, there are also fusion tech companies and national labs offering supporting technologies and services:
- Kyoto Fusioneering
- Altrusion
- ExoFusion
- Idaho National Laboratory
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
- University of Washington
Read more about these companies here: