General Fusion

We’re dedicated to upskilling the cleantech industry. 💪 Through our collaborations with Mitacs, researchers across many fields—plasma physics, diagnostics, data, controls and instrumentation, and mechanical and electrical engineering—work with us to build the future of energy! We’ve employed STEM researchers from across Mitacs's vast talent network, from institutions such as The University of British Columbia, TRIUMF, McGill University, Queen's University, University of Waterloo, and University of Saskatchewan, providing once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to build, simulate, and test the fusion machines informing our path to commercialization. Several of Mitacs’s career-ready students joined us full-time and today hold a variety of roles at the company. Programs like Mitacs connect us with skilled talent to advance our technology toward a clean energy future powered by fusion. Thanks for having us at your recent board reception in Vancouver! 🌱

New funding from Innovate BC will enhance our diagnostics system for LM26! ⚡ We’re collaborating with BC-based Motus Design Group to develop a first-of-a-kind component that will enable us to quickly install diagnostics on LM26 and support the extraction and storage of data. When operational, the robust diagnostics system will provide thousands of data points used to improve the capabilities of the machine with each run. Innovate BC connects BC’s tech ecosystem, fostering innovation to drive a thriving, sustainable, and inclusive economy. The Integrated Marketplace initiative, created as part of the StrongerBC Economic Plan and supported by Pacific Economic Development Canada | Développement économique Canada pour le Pacifique, accelerates and de-risks the adoption of domestic innovations to support decarbonization. Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/gZFEFHGi

A look behind-the-scenes: Our team uses a mandrel to shape custom fibreglass parts for LM26. 🛠 Today at our labs, we’re using the mandrel to form and test a transport carrier for LM26's solid lithium liners. The first-of-a-kind liners will be inserted into our groundbreaking machine and compressed in about five milliseconds using electromagnetic force, heating plasma to fusion temperatures of over 100 million degrees Celsius. The carriers are another example of our in-house innovation; we prototype, test, and iterate rapidly to advance our technology quickly. #TechTuesday #CanadianInnovation #fusionenergy

#DidYouKnow❓ Our machine that started it all achieved its first fusion reaction in 2005, producing neutrons and advancing critical MTF research & development. Today, the prototype is a part of Canadian innovation history, on display at the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa. Our founder, Michel Laberge, and first employee, Lon McIlwraith, built the machine in a Bowen Island garage, determined to demonstrate that MTF is the future of clean energy. As one of the first private fusion companies in the world, we’ve driven industry advances over the past two decades. Today, our journey continues with LM26—our MTF fusion demonstration that will achieve breakthrough milestones over the next two years and put us on track to commercialization by the early-to-mid 2030s. 🌠 #CanadianInnovation #fusionenergy

It’s been a busy month for fusion! Momentum is building in Canada and around the world: 🍁 Canada’s first Fusion Day brought together a nationwide ecosystem shaping the future of fusion in Canada. A roadmap launched by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories lays the groundwork to support Canadian-based IP development, high-tech job creation and skills training, and long-term energy sustainability in Canada with fusion energy as a commercially viable energy source. 🌍 The G7 nations committed to establishing a working group on fusion energy to accelerate the development of fusion plants through international collaboration and fostering private investments and public engagement in the fusion industry. 🔥 To mark the second anniversary of the Bold Decadal Vision for Commercial Fusion Energy, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released its Fusion Energy Strategy 2024. It includes $180 million for the Fusion Innovation Research Engine (FIRE) collaboratives, which aim to accelerate fusion commercialization by driving advancements in fusion energy research in collaboration with both public and private entities. 🤝 The US Senate passed the ADVANCE Act, which includes legislation to regulate fusion energy systems under the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s byproduct materials process. This permanently separates fusion energy regulations from nuclear fission, allowing for a more streamlined deployment route for fusion energy in the US. Each development accelerates the path to a future powered by clean #fusionenergy!

#ICYMI: We’re charting the path to a clean energy future with LM26 🚀 Since launch, we’ve been full speed ahead, making major advancements with our prototypes, simulations, and diagnostics. Read about what we’ve accomplished and what’s to come: https://lnkd.in/ghikCQeS

“The world needs fusion energy!” A call to action from our Chief Strategy Officer Megan Wilson, who took the stage at FUSION24 this week for the “Building the Tomorrow We Need” panel to share her insights on the path to commercialization. Most important is developing a power plant that meets users’ needs. We work with potential end-use customers, giving them a front-row view of our progress as we advance our uniquely practical commercial design. Our focus on practical commercial technology is one of the qualities that drew Board Chair Klaas de Boer to General Fusion ~15 years ago. He joined the “Thinking Big” panel this week, speaking to the industry’s growth through the years. As an early investor in fusion, he’s been a longtime champion for a #fusionfuture. Check out our Market Development Advisory Committee here: https://lnkd.in/gmpF6G2W

In 2022, we celebrated two milestone achievements! ⚡ World-leading plasmas: Our plasma injector outperformed expectations creating plasmas with a 10-millisecond self-sustaining energy confinement time without requiring active magnetic stabilization, auxiliary heating, or a conventional divertor. ⚡ Cutting-edge liquid compression technology: Our compression system prototype validated that a shaped collapse in a liquid cavity can be achieved in a large-scale MTF demonstration. Together, these results indicate that our plasmas live long enough to effectively be mechanically compressed to fusion conditions with our technology. LM26 will build on our existing advancements with scalable technology and de-risk our path to fusion commercialization. #TechTuesday #CanadianInnovation #fusionenergy

The ARPA-E Fusion Programs Annual Meeting was a success! Our VP of Engineering Mike Sexsmith attended the event last week alongside public and private fusion experts to explore ways the industry can accelerate the development timeline for commercially viable fusion energy. Through its programs, ARPA-E advances disruptive energy technologies—such as fusion—by providing companies with funding and technical & market expertise. Through public-private cooperation, commercial fusion energy is within reach. 🚀