This Week’s Fusion News: March 14, 2025
Things You Gotta Know
The Fusion Supply Chain: Tracking Who Is Supplying What to Whom
The fusion energy sector relies on a complex network of suppliers and stakeholders. Understanding these relationships is critical to monitoring progress and identifying bottlenecks in fusion technology development.
Data Center Growth Prompts Move to Accelerate Fusion in Virginia
At the CERAWeek energy conference, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin emphasized the need for the U.S. to expedite fusion energy development to maintain energy leadership, especially given China’s advancements. With Virginia hosting a significant concentration of data centers, the state is positioned to support fusion initiatives. Commonwealth Fusion Systems plans to build the first utility-scale fusion power plant in Virginia, reinforcing the state’s commitment to fusion energy advancement.
UKAEA and Eni Join Forces to Engineer World-Leading Fusion Fuel Facility
The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and Eni are constructing an advanced tritium fuel cycle plant at UKAEA’s Culham campus in Oxfordshire. Scheduled for completion by 2028, the facility will demonstrate a continuous, closed-loop tritium fuel cycle at a pilot plant scale, addressing challenges associated with tritium handling and processing.
Princeton Nuclear Physicist Liu Chang Leaves U.S. for China’s Fusion Energy Quest
Nuclear physicist Liu Chang has left Princeton University to contribute to China’s fusion energy efforts. His move underscores China’s commitment to fusion research and highlights the global competition for top scientific talent in sustainable fusion energy development.
Virginia Governor Says U.S. Must Develop Fusion or Fall Behind China
At the CERAWeek energy conference, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin stressed the urgency for the United States to accelerate fusion energy development to avoid falling behind China. He highlighted Virginia’s strategic position, hosting a significant number of data centers, and noted Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ plans to build the first utility-scale fusion power plant in the state, emphasizing the critical need for U.S. leadership in fusion technology.
Penner Distinguished Lecture Series- Winter 2025- Emeritus Dean Robert W. Conn
Top Fusion Companies by Funding
BY MICHAEL HEUMANN
Fusion energy is attracting unprecedented investment as governments and private backers race to commercialize this game-changing technology. The Fusion Report has compiled a ranking of the top fusion companies based on total funding, offering a data-driven look at the industry’s key players and financial landscape.
The Fusion Supply Chain – Scaling Fusion Energy from FOAKs to Thousands
BY MICHAEL HEUMANN
Scaling fusion requires a secure supply chain. Today, there may be up to 50+ different versions of first-of-a-kind (FOAK) fusion machines in development across dozens of private and public fusion programs. While they typically fit into four significant categories: magnetic confinement fusion (MCF), inertial confinement fusion (ICF), pinch, and hybrid approaches, each implementation has material differences in methodologies, techniques, form factors, and processes that present challenges to build a scalable and sustainable supply chain to scale the fusion industry.
