East Tennessee is emerging as the epicenter of fusion energy innovation in the United States following the announcement of a powerful new research facility designed to bring fusion materials closer to commercial reality.
A partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Type One Energy and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Utah) will establish a state-of-the-art high heat flux (HHF) facility that addresses one of the most important challenges in fusion energy: how materials perform under extreme conditions.
Located within the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) Bull Run Energy Complex in Clinton, the facility is expected to play a vital role in qualifying materials for future fusion power plants and strengthen the region’s growing reputation as a hub for fusion research and manufacturing.
ORNL Director Steven Streifer believes the facility will change the game for nuclear fusion in the United States. “This unique collaboration of groundbreaking science, industry innovation, and academic leadership will lead to the creation of a national facility essential to making commercial fusion a reality.”
Tackling the toughest conditions in fusion energy
Fusion energy systems operate in some of the harshest environments ever designed, with plasma-facing components (PFCs) bearing the brunt of high heat and particle bombardment within the fusion device, exposing them to temperatures higher than the surface of the sun.
Understanding how molten materials react to these conditions is essential to building devices that can operate reliably over long periods of time.
By reproducing these extreme heat loads in a controlled setting, researchers can evaluate performance, identify lifetime limits, and accelerate materials validation for fusion pilot plant designs.
Capable of delivering a steady-state heat load of more than 10 megawatts per square meter, comparable to the heat flux inside a rocket engine, the facility uses advanced electron beam technology to recreate real-world fusion conditions with unprecedented fidelity.
A rare and powerful national asset
Once completed, the Bull Run HHF facility will be the second facility in the United States and the most powerful to date. It also stands out as the only domestic facility with pressurized helium gas cooling, a key feature of next-generation fusion concepts.
Helium is widely considered as the primary coolant in fusion energy systems due to its chemical inertness, stability under irradiation, and ability to operate at very high temperatures.
These properties make it particularly attractive for advanced fusion materials and reactor blanket designs, including Type One Energy’s planned Infinity Two fusion power plant concept.
By integrating helium cooling with high heat flux testing, this facility provides unique and relevant data to U.S.-based fusion developers.
Build a strong regional foundation
This project leverages East Tennessee’s deep expertise and existing investments in fusion science.
ORNL brings decades of leadership in fusion materials development, world-class materials characterization capabilities, and access to manufacturing demonstration facilities.
UT contributes advanced research in fusion materials design and workforce development, while Type One Energy supports that effort with a vision for commercial fusion.
The Bull Run site is already home to Type One Energy’s Infinity One stellarator testbed and is a potential site for the first Infinity Two power plant. Together with the new HHF facility, these projects will transform the region into a fully integrated fusion development campus.
Supporting the National Fusion Roadmap
This facility directly addresses a critical gap identified in the Department of Energy’s Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap: the need for a robust domestic high heat flux testing capability.
It also complements ORNL’s Materials Plasma Exposure Experiment (MPEX), which is currently under construction and focuses on plasma-material interaction science.
Together, these efforts provide a comprehensive platform to advance fusion materials from laboratory concepts to reactor-ready components.
Project timeline
The project is funded by a combination of investments from DOE Fusion Energy Sciences, donations from Type One Energy, and support from the State of Tennessee.
TVA has already prepared the Bull Run site, and project partners have completed facility design and begun procurement.
Assembly is expected to take place soon and the HHF facility is targeted for completion by the end of 2027.
As the global race toward practical fusion energy accelerates, East Tennessee’s new high heat flux facility will position the United States at the forefront of fusion materials research, turning extreme heat into actionable knowledge and bringing the promise of fusion power one step closer to reality.
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