Fusion News

Jasmine Mund, mechanical design engineer with a key interest in the fusion industry, gives this week’s global Fusion News update. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. ‘World-first’ 1 keV fusion milestone set without lasers or superconducting magnets

https://interestingengineering.com/energy/nuclear-fusion-reactor-hits-world-first-1-kev-milestone

2. Germany launches fusion milestone programme

https://www.neimagazine.com/news/germany-launches-fusion-milestone-programme/

3. Scientists may have found a shortcut to fusion energy

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/10/261008005242.htm

4. Department of Commerce Announces Letters of Intent With 4 Companies for $389 Million of R&D Awards to Strengthen America’s Energy Semiconductor Supply Chain

https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2026/10/department-commerce-announces-letters-intent-4-companies-389-million-rd

5. Hephaestus raises £12.8m to advance rare-earth-free fusion technology

https://nstartup.me/news/1e9eeedf-4c6a-47f0-9acb-adff172deddd

Bonus stories:

IPP, Columbia University establish international fusion research center

https://www.ans.org/news/article-8507/ipp-columbia-university-establish-international-fusion-research-center/

Interview: The Fusion Future with Dennis Whyte | Particles of Thought

https://youtu.be/mu1T0vFeD1w?si=1UwJw1jAZIMd-olb

Dr. Cyd Cowley and Caroline Anderson discuss high temperature superconductors (HTS) - explaining how the technology works and why it matters for commercial fusion energy. Plus, a behind the scenes look at Tokamak Energy’s DEMO-4 machine with Product Development Manager, Nadia Gjerdingen.

About Tech Now: Tech Now is a new podcast series from the Fusion Industry Association. Each month, Caroline Anderson, Director of External Affairs, Fusion Industry Association, and Dr. Cyd Cowley, Fusion Principal, digiLab will take a closer look at a game-changing technology accelerating commercial fusion energy.

Adrian Carrillo, Master's Student at the University of Washington focusing on computational plasma physics, gives today's global Fusion News update. As usual, links to the stories discussed are below.

1. CFS places a major superconducting tape order for ARC

https://cfs.energy/news-and-media/commonwealth-fusion-systems-places-largest-single-/

2. ITER receives its final vacuum vessel sector

https://fusionforenergy.europa.eu/news/europes-final-iter-vacuum-vessel-sector-delivered/

3. A bipartisan bill proposes ten billion dollars for fusion

https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3850

4. Daedal raises funding for fusion plasma diagnostics

https://www.daedalsystems.com/funding-announcement

Bonus:

https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/30/governor-newsom-signs-legislation-to-accelerate-californias-fusion-industry-announces-major-investment-for-quantum-research/

https://www.pppl.gov/news/2026/openstar-technologies-and-pppl-are-building-partnership-advance-fusion-energy

https://www.pppl.gov/news/2026/novel-path-fusion-ignition-heat-first-then-add-fuel

To kick off the People in Fusion series, Fusion Industry Association CEO Andrew Holland sits down with Dr. Tim Bestwick, outgoing CEO of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).

They talk about the UK's long history of fusion leadership and its evolving role as industry moves toward deployment, lessons Tim gained from his career bringing tech to market in other early industries, and his vision for the "quest" to commercialization.

People in Fusion is a new podcast series from the Fusion Industry Association, featuring conversations with the people behind fusion energy's acceleration.

Carli Smith, Fusion Researcher at Kyoto Fusioneering, gives this week's global Fusion News update. Links to the stories are included below.

1. First Light Fusion achieves major fuel compression milestone

https://www.niauk.org/first-light-fusion-achieves-major-step-forward-for-flare/

2. Fusion leaders meet in London for the UK Fusion Forum and Global Policy Summit

https://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/fusion-leaders-convene-in-london-for-global-policy-summit-and-fia-uk-fusion-forum/

3. Compact fusion company nT-Tao gets a step closer to pushing core plasma temperature limits

https://interestingengineering.com/energy/nuclear-fusion-gets-50-mw-pulse-upgrade?mc_cid=a9d6340062

4. Proxima Fusion plans Europe’s first high temperature superconducting tape factory

https://www.neimagazine.com/news/germany-plans-europes-first-hts-factory/

Bonus:

https://www.ribaj.com/intelligence/opportunities-for-architects-in-fusion-energy/

https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2026/research/transatlantic-partnership-fusion/

Dr. Cyd Cowley, working at the intersection of fusion and AI at FIA affiliate member digiLab, gives this week’s global Fusion News update. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. The $14 Billion Bet to Bring Fusion Out of the Lab

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-09-09/fusion-gets-14-billion-bet-energy-source-can-be-commercialized

2. Tokamak Energy completes 13.7T fusion magnet tests

https://www.theengineer.co.uk/content/news/tokamak-energy-completes-137t-fusion-magnet-tests

3. Helical selected for Japanese fusion demonstration project

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/helical-selected-for-japanese-fusion-demonstration-project

4. Tennessee issues licence for fusion plant

https://world-nuclear-news.org/articles/tennessee-issues-licence-for-fusion-plant

Bonus story:

FIA white paper guides Agreement States on fusion regulation:

https://www.ans.org/news/article-8374/fia-white-paper-guides-agreement-states-on-fusion-regulation/

Dave Thomas, editor of Fusion News and fusion filmmaker covering the industry for over a decade, gives this week’s global Fusion News update. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. Pacific Fusion’s next fusion machine could clear a key hurdle to commercial power

https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/25/pacific-fusion-next-fusion-machine-could-clear-key-hurdle-to-commercial-power/

2. Kyoto Fusioneering raises $162 million

https://kyotofusioneering.com/en/news/2026/08/24/4350

3. Marathon Fusion tackles one of fusion’s biggest fuel problems

https://heatmap.news/climate-tech/marathon-fusion-lithium-tritium

4. Inertia Enterprises cuts fusion fuel production from days to hours

https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/20/inertia-enterprises-finds-a-way-to-make-its-fusion-fuel-fast/

Bonus stories:

STEP passes 50 fusion patent applications

https://stepfusion.com/uk-fusion-energy-hits-major-ip-milestone/

Eni sees fusion as its “next refinery”

https://www.ft.com/content/e6a069b6-69f8-4a21-9873-3cc0736d27e2?syn-25a6b1a6=1

Jasmine Mund, mechanical design engineer with a key interest in the fusion industry, gives today’s global fusion news update. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. Kyoto Fusioneering to Relocate U.S. HQ to Tennessee and Deliver UNITY-3 with ORNL, a First-of-Its-Kind Facility to De-Risk Fusion Technology

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260811349799/en/Kyoto-Fusioneering-to-Relocate-U.S.-HQ-to-Tennessee-and-Deliver-UNITY-3-with-ORNL-a-First-of-Its-Kind-Facility-to-De-Risk-Fusion-Technology

2. Fusion energy developer TAE signs helium-3 future fuel supply option agreement

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/fusion-energy-developer-tae-signs-helium-3-future-fuel-supply-option-agreement-2026-08-05/

3. MIT scientists’ new framework could make fusion power a commercial reality

https://interestingengineering.com/energy/mit-scientists-economic-framework-fusion-power-reality

4. Fusion fuel tech makes commercial leap

https://www.neimagazine.com/news/fusion-fuel-tech-makes-commercial-leap/

5. Latest MAST Upgrade experiments achieve milestones

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/latest-mast-upgrade-experiments-achieve-milestones

6. Fuse Touts ‘Highest’ Neutron Yield by Any Fusion Company

https://www.powermag.com/fuse-touts-highest-neutron-yield-by-any-fusion-company/

Bonus stories:

Fusion machines benefit from first-ever silver crystal tritium separation

https://interestingengineering.com/energy/nuclear-fusion-reactors-get-first-silver-tritium

Fusion energy expert Prof Dennis Whyte appointed next UKAEA CEO

https://www.niauk.org/fusion-energy-expert-prof-dennis-whyte-appointed-next-ukaea-ceo/

Adrian Carrillo, Master's Student at the University of Washington focusing on computational plasma physics, gives today’s global fusion news update. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. Commonwealth Fusion Systems raises $1 billion in equity funding

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-fusion-energy-company-commonwealth-raises-1-billion-equity-funding-2026-07-30/

2. Thea Energy lands a $20 million federal award to build its fusion magnet production line

https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/27/thea-energy-lands-20m-federal-grant-to-build-its-magnets-for-fusion-reactors/

3. Europe delivers a new fuel source for JT-60SA

https://fusionforenergy.europa.eu/news/jt60sa-fuel-source-centrifuge-accelerator-f4e-sener/

4. DOE announces the first Genesis Mission awards supporting AI-driven fusion research

https://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/doe-announces-first-genesis-mission-awards-supporting-ai-driven-fusion-research/

5. UKAEA supports fusion inclusion into postgraduate education

https://www.ukaea.org/news/supporting-fusion-inclusion-into-postgraduate-education/

Bonus stories:

ITER upper launcher design ready for manufacturing

https://fusionforenergy.europa.eu/news/iter-upper-launcher-design-ready-for-manufacturing/

The Energy Gang: Is fusion power here at last?

https://www.woodmac.com/podcasts/energy-gang/can-fusion-finally-deliver/

Carli Smith, fusion researcher at Kyoto Fusioneering, gives today's global fusion news update. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. Fusion industry funding hits an annual record

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/global-fusion-energy-annual-investments-hit-record-nearly-45-billion-2026-07-13/

2. General fusion makes history in the stock market

https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/13/investors-send-general-fusion-soaring-in-debut-as-first-publicly-traded-fusion-company/

3.Quantum computers make headway in solving fusion’s fuel problem

https://phys.org/news/2026-07-quantum-fusion-fuel-material-configurations.html

4. Inertia opens world’s first fusion factory to commercialize inertial confinement fusion

https://www.axios.com/pro/climate-deals/2026/07/13/inertia-fusion-facility-livermore

Bonus stories:

General Atomics Secures California Tax Credit for San Diego Fusion Blanket Test Facility

https://newatlas.com/energy/general-atomics-test-key-fusion-reactor-component/

Dr. Cyd Cowley, working at the intersection of fusion and AI at FIA affiliate member digiLab, gives today's global fusion news update. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. US fusion startup makes history by converting plasma energy directly into electricity

https://interestingengineering.com/energy/us-nuclear-fusion-makes-history

2. UKAEA and Eni launch RH3OVA to advance fusion industry

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukaea-and-eni-launch-rh3ova-to-advance-fusion-industry

3. General Fusion targets Italy

https://www.neimagazine.com/news/general-fusion-targets-italy/

Bonus stories:

2026 Fusion Industry Association supply chain report

https://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/fia-launches-2026-fusion-industry-supply-chain-report/

Adrian Carrillo, Master's Student at the University of Washington focusing on computational plasma physics, gives today’s global fusion news update. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. UK and Japan deepen fusion cooperation with new agreement

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-japan-fusion-partnership-strengthened-by-ukaea-and-qst

2. Helion clears key regulatory milestone for Orion power plant

https://www.helionenergy.com/newsroom/helion-clears-key-regulatory-milestone-on-the-path-to-building-and-operating-the-worlds-first-fusion-power-plant

3. First Light Fusion recreates orbital impact velocities in Texas tests

https://firstlightfusion.com/media/first-light-fusion-successfully-recreates-orbital-impact-velocities-at-texas-am-engineering-experiment-station/

4. Energy Department Releases Finalized Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap to Accelerate Commercial Fusion Power

https://www.energy.gov/articles/energy-department-releases-finalized-fusion-science-and-technology-roadmap-accelerate

Bonus:

How fusion is powering UK prosperity – Episode 5: First Light Fusion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLNTcdlQoAo

Interview with SHINE: A Revenue-Backed Roadmap on the Path to Fusion (FusionX:Americas)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGISpdJDwTM

Jasmine Mund, mechanical design engineer with a key interest in the fusion industry, gives this week’s global Fusion News update. As always, links to the stories mentioned are included below.

1. Record funding for European fusion

https://www.neimagazine.com/news/record-funding-for-european-fusion/

2. The world’s largest privately owned laser just turned on

https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/03/the-worlds-largest-privately-owned-laser-just-turned-on/

3. Thea Energy Raises $100 Million in New Funding to Advance Fusion Technology

https://www.powermag.com/thea-energy-raises-100-million-in-new-funding-to-advance-fusion-technology/

4. Commonwealth Fusion Systems says papers validate its quest to generate power

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/commonwealth-fusion-says-papers-validate-its-quest-generate-power-2026-06-04/

5. Helion hits $15.5B valuation with $465M in new cash as it aims to commercialize fusion this decade

https://www.geekwire.com/2026/helion-hits-15-5b-valuation-with-465m-in-new-cash-to-commercialize-fusion-this-decade/#:~:text=Helion%20Energy%2C%20a%20startup%20racing,now%20valued%20at%20%2415.5%20billion.

Bonus:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTH0kJ6dSaE

https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/02/pacific-fusions-latest-prototype-packs-440-gigawatts-into-an-80-nanosecond-burst/

https://interestingengineering.com/energy/nuclear-fusion-durability-breakthrough-scan

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/iter-magnet-test-facility-begins-operation

https://interestingengineering.com/transportation/world-first-floating-fusion-reactor-powered-vessel

Adrian Carrillo, Master's Student at the University of Washington focusing on computational plasma physics, gives today’s global fusion news update. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. CFS announces an agreement with Singapore's A*STAR to develop technologies for commercial fusion devices

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/worlds-largest-nuclear-fusion-firm-partners-astar-to-develop-commercial-power-plant-tech

2. Thea Energy Announces Successful Operation of Full-Scale Planar Shaping Coils

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/05/13/3293984/0/en/Thea-Energy-Announces-Successful-Operation-of-Full-Scale-Planar-Shaping-Coils.html

3. NIF researchers project over 10x increase in fusion yields after planned laser energy upgrade

https://www.aip.org/scilights/a-look-back-at-over-a-decade-of-inertial-confinement-fusion-experiments

https://pubs.aip.org/aip/pop/article/33/5/050503/3391665/Key-metrics-of-progress-in-the-NIF-ignition

4. Xcimer Energy Builds Leadership Team for Industrial Fusion and National Security Applications

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260512727044/en/Xcimer-Energy-Builds-Leadership-Team-for-Industrial-Fusion-and-National-Security-Applications

Bonus stories:

https://www.axios.com/2026/05/22/fusion-energy-simpler-federal-review?stream=top

https://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/fia-submits-response-to-nrcs-proposed-rulemaking-and-draft-guidance-for-us-fusion-regulations/

https://www.avalanchefusion.com/machines/lando

https://www.cnbc.com/video/2026/05/20/nuclear-fusion-without-massive-land-use-huge-fuel-costs.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSmSVYm0eT4

https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/germany-joins-eu-s-nuclear-fusion-push-europe-looks-energy-security

Carli Smith, fusion researcher at Kyoto Fusioneering, gives today's global fusion news update. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. British-US consortium aims to build UK fusion plant

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/british-us-consortium-aims-to-build-uk-fusion-plant

2. Grid connection requested for US fusion power plant

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/grid-connection-requested-for-us-fusion-power-plant

3. European Fusion and Industrial CEOs Call for a EU Fusion Strategy That Ensures Energy Security

https://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/european-fusion-and-industrial-ceos-call-for-a-eu-fusion-strategy-that-ensures-energy-security/

4. ITER Magnet Milestone Tests Fusion’s Construction Supply Chain

https://www.enr.com/articles/62975-iter-magnet-milestone-tests-fusions-construction-supply-chain

Bonus:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsOF-D5Lyvw

Dr. Cyd Cowley, working at the intersection of fusion and AI at FIA affiliate member digiLab, gives today's global fusion news update. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. The ‘dumb machine’ promising a clean energy breakthrough https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yvm11xrn6o

2. UKAEA backs First Light Fusion in £25m funding round https://www.theengineer.co.uk/content/news/first-light-fusion-raises-25m-for-commercial-fusion-push

3. US firm to scale laser-based fusion ‘breakthrough’ with new partnership https://interestingengineering.com/energy/laser-nuclear-fusion-moves-to-private-sector

4. $95M Tokamak Energy deal moves UK closer to building a fusion power plant https://interestingengineering.com/energy/uk-fusion-tokamak-energy-magnet-contract

Bonus:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69e87bd8d36883a64473b7ec/ukaea-strategy-2026-2030.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3AK_yi-Hww

Abdus Shaik, PhD student at Imperial College, London, gives this week's Fusion News update - summarizing behind the headlines of recent fusion energy news articles. Links to the stories discussed are included below.

1. ARPA-E Announces Record $135M Investment in Fusion Energy

https://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/arpa-e-announces-record-135m-investment-in-fusion-energy/

2. The Genesis Mission: How AI Supercomputing Is About to Reshape American Science and Energy

https://www.powermag.com/the-genesis-mission-how-ai-supercomputing-is-about-to-reshape-american-science-and-energy/

3. Realta Fusion secures HTS magnet supply

https://www.ans.org/news/2026-04-06/article-7910/realta-fusion-secures-hts-magnet-supply/

4. How nuclear batteries could speed the race to fusion power

https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/08/how-nuclear-batteries-could-speed-the-race-to-fusion-power/

5. World’s First Fully HTS Tokamak Sets Fusion Duration Record in Shanghai

https://www.yicaiglobal.com/news/worlds-first-fully-hts-tokamak-in-shanghai-holds-steady-operations-for-1337-seconds

6. The materials that make fusion possible

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgHB0NLfj4c

Mechanical design engineer Jasmine Mund gives this week's Fusion News update - summarizing behind the headlines of recent fusion energy news articles. Links to the stories discussed are included below.

1. UK fusion strategy revealed

https://www.neimagazine.com/news/uk-fusion-strategy-revealed/

2. OpenAI in Talks with Helion to Secure Fusion Energy

https://www.powermag.com/openai-in-talks-with-helion-to-secure-fusion-energy/

3. EU to invest €330 million to accelerate fusion energy and support nuclear technologies and skills

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_26_651

4. Novatron advances Nordic fusion plans

https://www.neimagazine.com/news/novatron-advances-nordic-fusion-plans/#:~:text=Novatron%20Fusion%20Group%20has%20partnered,commercial%20fusion%20deployment%20around%202040.

Bonus:

https://www.the-independent.com/tech/nuclear-fusion-rocket-plasma-pulsar-b2945974.html

https://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/fia-hosts-2026-annual-policy-conference/

Adrian Carrillo, master’s student at the University of Washington, gives this week's Fusion News update - summarizing behind the headlines of recent fusion energy news articles. Links to the stories discussed are included below:

1. Advancing fusion energy: Innovative breeding blanket designs at KIT

https://www.innovationnewsnetwork.com/advancing-fusion-energy-innovative-breeding-blanket-designs-at-kit/67336/

2. First Light validates tritium breeding

https://www.neimagazine.com/news/first-light-validates-tritium-breeding/

3. US takes step to solidify rules on fusion energy

https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-takes-step-solidify-rules-nuclear-fusion-energy-2026-02-26/

4. The Hidden Technology That Could Finally Make Fusion Power Work

https://scitechdaily.com/the-hidden-technology-that-could-finally-make-fusion-power-work/

Bonus:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWhbrRVwS-M

https://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/fia-annual-conference-2026/

Carli Smith, fusion researcher at Kyoto Fusioneering, gives today's global fusion news update. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. Fusion Startup Claims Major Advance in New Zealand Trial

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-17/nuclear-fusion-startup-claims-major-advance-in-new-zealand-trial

2. China has just broken a barrier that physicists believed to be unbreakable for decades, and its 150 million-degree artificial sun could bring us closer than ever to the energy of the stars

https://www.ecoticias.com/en/china-has-just-broken-a-barrier-that-physicists-believed-to-be-unbreakable-for-decades-and-its-150-million-degree-artificial-sun-could-bring-us-closer-than-ever-to-the-energy-of-the-stars/27313/

3. Japan fusion startup completes ‘one-of-a-kind’ coil manufacturing machine

https://interestingengineering.com/energy/japan-fusion-startup-completes-coil-manufacturing

4. Proxima Fusion seeks €2 Billion to build a nuclear fusion test facility

https://thenextweb.com/news/proxima-fusion-seeks-e2-billion-to-build-a-nuclear-fusion-test-facility

Bonus:

https://biztimes.com/new-wisconsin-consortium-will-grow-states-fusion-energy-ecosystem/

https://www.neimagazine.com/news/ukaea-backs-fusion-tech/