New technologies and investments are bringing fusion closer to reality.
Things You Gotta Know
France’s WEST Reactor Sets New Benchmark in Fusion Energy
In a significant leap for fusion energy, France’s WEST tokamak reactor has shattered previous records by sustaining plasma for an unprecedented 22 minutes and 17 seconds. Temperatures soared to 50 million degrees Celsius, over three times hotter than the sun’s core.
General Atomics Collaborates with Tokamak Energy on Fusion Project
General Atomics is partnering with Tokamak Energy to enhance the ST40 spherical tokamak as part of a U.S.-UK fusion initiative. The collaboration will construct a waveguide to channel electromagnetic waves from a new gyrotron, facilitating plasma heating essential for fusion reactions. The project is a joint effort between the U.S. Department of Energy, the UK’s Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, and Tokamak Energy. Installation of the new heating technology is slated for this year.
MIT Leverages AI to Decipher Fusion Plasma Mysteries
Researchers at MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center are harnessing artificial intelligence to unravel the complexities of plasma behavior within fusion reactors. By integrating machine learning with high-resolution simulations, the team aims to predict plasma dynamics more accurately to enhance the design and efficiency of fusion devices.
FusionXInvest: Global 2025 Highlights Diverse Strategies in Fusion Commercialization
The recent FusionXInvest: Global 2025 conference in Silicon Valley convened fusion industry leaders and investors to tackle the sector’s pressing challenges and opportunities. A prominent theme was the bifurcation of strategies: while some companies pursue the ambitious “moonshot” of direct grid-scale energy production, others adopt a “derisking” approach, targeting interim applications like medical isotope production and nuclear waste recycling to refine technologies and generate revenue.
Company Profile: Altrusion
BY MICHAEL HEUMANN
Interview with Dr. Greg Van Dyk, CEO of Altrusion. Ignition Research sat down with Dr. Van Dyk to discuss the company, the future of fusion energy development, and the importance of the supply chain in commercializing fusion energy.
FusionXInvest: Curing Cancer with Fusion
BY MICHAEL HEUMANN
Fusion research is driving innovations in life-saving medicine. At the FusionXInvest event in San Jose this past week, Rob Hill, the CEO of TAE Life Sciences, provided an overview of how his company is attacking some of the most aggressive and challenging forms of cancer.
The “Wright” Leadership: Unpacking the DOE’s Strategy to Power America and Close the Electricity Gap
SPONSORED CONTENT
This webcast will explore Secretary of Energy Chris Wright’s bold, transformative strategy and examine the pressing challenges posed by America’s electricity gap and aging infrastructure. Our panel will analyze how these measures will impact key industries, from fossil fuels and renewables to grid modernization and energy exports.
FusionXInvest: Investments, Optimism, and A Few Questions
BY SHAUN WALSH
Cheerleading, portfolios, and hard questions: The FusionXInvest Conference for 2025 took place this past week (Feb 11-14, 2025) at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA, where we were surrounded by the history of some of the most significant innovations of the 20th century as we discussed one of the groundbreaking technologies for the 21st century.