General fusion has successfully formed a magnetized plasma on the Lawson Machine 26 (LM26), reaching an important milestone in the pursuit of zero carbon fusion energy.
This is an important step in demonstrating the feasibility of magnetized target fusion and a groundbreaking approach to cost-effective fusion energy.
The LM26 now forms plasma every day, with the team optimizing performance before the next important stage. The plasma is compressed with a lithium liner to cause fusion and generate heat.
Opening the road to commercially available fusion energy
The LM26 is the result of more than 20 years of technological advancement and is designed to deliver a series of major technology benchmarks.
These include reaching 10 million °C (1 keV), then reaching 100 million °C (10 keV), and ultimately achieving a scientific break-even point (100% Lawson standard) in a commercially relevant way.
The rapid development of the LM26, which was designed, assembled and operated within just 16 months, highlights the agility of general fusion and its commitment to advancement in fusion technology.
The company’s extensive experience including 24 plasma injectors, over 200,000 plasma formation, and past fusion neutron production removed the LM26 and set the next jump stage.
How magnetized target fusion works
Unlike traditional fusion approaches that rely on expensive lasers and superconducting magnets, magnetized target fusion uses mechanical compression to create fusion conditions for short pulses. This unique method allows for more scalable and cost-effective design of power plants.
The General Fusion approach allows plants to produce their own fuels, integrating built-in methods for extracting and harnessing the generated energy.
This makes the fusion of magnetized targets a promising alternative to traditional energy sources and provides a pathway to sustainable, large-scale power generation.
The future of zero carbon power
When commercialized, a single common fusion power plant is projected to supply 300 MWE of electricity. This is enough to move around about 150,000 Canadian homes.
The compact design allows plants to be built near the energy demand center, reducing transmission costs and supporting existing infrastructure.
The company’s magnetized target fusion technology is particularly suitable for repeating existing power generation sites and providing industrial steam heat.
With two 150 MWE machines running in tandem, the system offers a competitive alternative to fossil fuels and reduces carbon emissions.
General Fusion CEO Greg Twinney said:
“Unlike other approaches, magnetized target fusion is designed from the ground up to create practical forces.
“As a result, our path to providing clean fusion energy to homes and businesses following the LM26 is easier and more streamlined than other technologies.”
Investment and economic impact
Fusion advances in general have supported $609 million from the Canadian Government’s Strategic Innovation Fund since 2019.
This funding has played an important role in attracting private capital.
The company also has a major impact on the Canadian economy, repatriating around $3 in global private investments on all public dollars it received.
Since 2019, General Fusion has injected approximately $141 million into the local British Columbia economy, strengthening Canada’s position as a leader in fusion energy innovation.
Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson added:
“The combination of federal investment, industry collaboration and academic research has helped our nuclear industry be poised to seize global economic opportunities ahead of us, while increasing employment in Canada and protecting the energy economy.
“We are pleased that the general consolidation is making great strides in their work to promote energy innovation, increase productivity and continue UK Colombia and Canada’s leadership in the future economy.”
Next step: Bring fusion to the grid
With the LM26 on track to achieve its groundbreaking technical milestone, general fusion is approaching its mission to provide the grid with commercially magnetized target fusion forces within the next decade.
As the plasma compression test begins, the company is poised to reconstruct the future of clean energy, bringing fusion power to a step closer to reality.
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