First things first: Is fusion energy on the horizon?
All signs point to yes. If you were to evaluate the viability of any groundbreaking technology, you'd look for a few key indicators: advancements in scientific research, increased investments from industry insiders, growing interest from government officials, and insights from those working on the front lines. All those indicators are pointing towards fusion technology on the grid.
Technologically, you are looking for the achievement when the fusion reaction generates more energy than the energy you’ve used to start the reaction. The much-publicized breakthrough made at the National Ignition Facility in the U.S. where the energy gain briefly exceeded the input (also known as Q > 1) is a strong indicator that we are closer than ever to a fusion breakthrough.
Another way to gauge if fusion energy is near is by anonymously polling industry workers. Respondents that work at the more than 45 fusion companies worldwide and have a front-row seat to fusion development on a daily basis. The annual Fusion Industry Association report found that 89% of employees responding to the survey anticipated that fusion would provide electricity to the grid by the end of 2030s, and 70% said that milestone would happen by the end of 2035.
Investors who are privy to proprietary information seem to also be seeing results that support a surge in investments. The total amount of investment in fusion companies has risen by a billion dollars in the last year, to a total of $7 billion.
Governments around the world are also starting to accelerate their infrastructure investments. Government funding for fusion has risen by 50% since 2023, and the U.S., Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom have all initiated public-private partnership programs to streamline fusion R&D.
Why should countries start preparing for fusion now?
Whether a country plans to develop fusion technologies domestically, or import them, early preparation is essential for several reasons. The cost of waiting until fusion energy becomes commercially available could far outweigh the small investments needed today to build the right foundations. Here's why:
Avoid playing catch-up
Waiting until fusion energy hits the market could lead to a scramble to catch up, putting your country at a significant disadvantage. The transition from fossil fuels to fusion power will require updated regulatory frameworks, new supply chains, and a trained workforce. Without early preparation, the delay in developing these systems could lead to higher costs, rushed decisions, and missed opportunities. On the other hand, preparing now ensures a smooth and cost-effective transition when fusion becomes available.
Boost energy security
Fossil fuel imports come with inherent risks, both economic and political. Global events can disrupt supply chains, leading to price hikes and energy shortages that cripple industries. By preparing for fusion energy today, countries can reduce their reliance on external energy sources, ensuring a stable and secure energy future. Early investment in fusion-ready infrastructure will make the transition easier and help avoid the pitfalls of dependency on fossil fuels.
Reduce emissions and improve public health
Every year of delay in adopting fusion energy means continuing reliance on fossil fuels, with all the associated environmental and health costs. Increased emissions lead to air pollution, which not only affects public health but also drives up national healthcare costs. Countries that are proactive about transitioning to fusion can significantly reduce their carbon footprints, improve air quality, and position themselves as leaders in the fight against climate change. This also makes them more attractive to top talent, helping to build a high-quality workforce for the future.
Prepare your economy for the fusion future
Fusion energy has the potential to revolutionize the global energy landscape. Countries that are early adopters will have a head start in benefiting from this technology. They can attract fusion-related investments, create jobs, and foster innovation across sectors. Even if a country plans to import fusion reactors, having the right infrastructure, supply chains, and workforce in place will be crucial to integrating this technology into the national grid. Moreover, a well-prepared economy will be better positioned to leverage the many downstream industries that fusion will enable, from AI to advanced manufacturing and robotics.
Even if fusion is delayed, what are the benefits of having introduced a fusion strategy?
A national industry of fusion energy development has downstream effects that benefit the country. A thriving academic environment for training physicists and engineers, including plasma and radiation physicists can benefit the aerospace industry, the fission industry, the robotics, remote handling, and waste management fields. Research in irradiation, materials science, thermal-hydraulics, and reactor physics can benefit medicine, food safety and transport, and the overall scientific community.
Supporting a domestic industry in developing tools, technologies, and materials for a fusion industry is likely to pay off at just the right time as fusion technology itself develops. There is no indication that fusion research will decrease, so having a part in the pipeline, whether it is in research, materials, or manufacturing will be profitable.
Who is ahead of the curve now?
The U.S.
In 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a bold decadal vision to accelerate fusion within a decade, and a commitment to a pilot-scale demonstration of fusion, supported by $46 million in funding provided to eight companies.
China
Key Government ministries and organizations are coordinating China’s fusion activities, resulting in three major domestic tokamaks now in operation in China (EAST superconducting machine at Hefei, HL-2A(M) at Chengdu, and J-TEXT at Huazhong). It is estimated that the Chinese government has invested between 3 to 4 billion in fusion development. China has ambitions to start generating fusion power using the world’s largest pulse-powered energy plant by 2028.
Japan
Japan operates a superconducting tokamak device, known as JT-60SA, the largest operational tokamak in the world. The Japanese government launched a comprehensive “Fusion Energy Innovation Strategy” in 2023 to leverage Japan’s technological advantage towards the realization of fusion energy and established ‘Diverse applications of Fusion Energy’ as one of the ten goals under the Moonshot Research and Development Program.
Germany
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has long supported fusion research at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP), and a new funding program for nuclear fusion research has been announced, with the aim of building a fusion power plant to be constructed by 2040.
United Kingdom
In 2021, the UK Government issued its fusion strategy with the overarching goals of demonstrating the commercial viability of fusion by building a prototype fusion power plant in the UK and building a world-leading fusion industry that can export fusion technology. Their “Fusion Futures” program will invest directly in private Fusion companies.
South Korea
South Korea’s largest fusion project is KSTAR in Daejeon. In November of 2020, KSTAR managed to operate its plasma at 100 million degrees Celsius for more than 20 seconds – the world’s first fusion device to have maintained plasma for more than 10 seconds at that temperature. In July 2024, The South Korean government committed $863.7 million to a decade-long program focused on establishing a public-private partnership model and a pilot fusion device operating in the 2040s.
So how do you get started?
Helixos’s Plasma Power Program empowers government, industry, and public stakeholders to progress toward the deployment of fusion power in their country or region.
It provides a holistic view of the key elements, nestled under overarching pillars, which should be considered prior to embarking on a fusion power program.
This tool can be used by stakeholders to reflect on the current state of their fusion ecosystem, identify any gaps, and work towards addressing these gaps through the key elements we’ve outlined.
At Helixos, we help governments and industry prepare for and get involved in the fusion energy sector.
