US launches roadmap to support fusion commercialisation

The race is on to deliver energy from fusion, and while the location of the first to achieve this ‘holy grail’ remains open, the most probable timeline is around the early to mid-2030s, with the most optimistic believing it could be achieved before 2030.

Thus, the new US roadmap is effectively intended to support the start of commercial fusion in the US, with its intent to provide the public infrastructure on which the fusion private sector can scale up in the 2030s.

The roadmap is based on a build-innovate-grow strategy, i.e. to build the key infrastructure to address critical material and technology gaps, to innovate and advance the science and engineering base, and to grow the fusion ecosystem, including research, supply chains and manufacturing, through domestic and international public-private partnerships.

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Key here, according to the roadmap, is the public-private approach, so that these programmes are complementary and that partnerships are strategic to be able to leverage assets and resources.

Broadly, the roadmap for the public sector is in the near term (i.e. 2-3 years) to build small-to-medium test stands, start design of large-scale facilities and R&D neutron sources.

In the medium term (3-5 years), the public sector should deliver the small to medium capabilities and build integration platforms with neutron sources. In the long term (5-10 years) it should deliver large-scale integration blanket tritium fuel cell facilities and a prototypic neutron materials testing platform.

For the private sector, early-stage demonstration is envisaged in the near term, moving to construction of early-stage pilot plants in the medium term and nuclear and non-nuclear operation of early generation plants in the long term.

The roadmap also highlights core challenges. These include structural materials, plasma facing components, advanced plasma confinement approaches, the fuel cycle and tritium processing, blanket science and the final system integration.

“Fusion is real, near and ready for coordinated action,” commented Jean Paul Allain, Associate Director of DOE’s Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, on the roadmap's release.

“This roadmap provides the strategic foundation for building the scientific, technical and industrial base needed to ensure American leadership in commercial fusion on an ambitious timeline.”

EU fusion strategy

The US fusion roadmap comes as the European Commission is presumed to be putting the finishing touches to its fusion strategy that was slated for publication in this Q4 of the year.

In a call for evidence issued in June, key issues highlighted for the strategy to address are the need for future clean energy sources, the need to increase European private sector engagement in the light of increasing global competition, the lack of a regulatory framework for fusion facilities and the risk of falling behind countries that already have a fusion strategy.

Outcomes intended include identifying actions to take advantage of the EU’s lead role in ITER, formulating a pathway to a pilot fusion plant and developing the supply chain and a workforce strategy.

The fusion strategy – a commitment from both the clean industrial deal and affordable energy action plan – is due to be followed with an action plan, although the timeline has not been specified.

With both the US and EU forging ahead on fusion, we also should not forget that China is hot in the fusion race, with competition between the various countries intensifying. Recently, the Chinese government invested $2.1 billion in its new state-owned China Fusion Energy Co, bringing its total fusion funding to at least $6.5 billion since 2023, according to a recent study from the bipartisan Commission for the Scaling of Fusion Energy in the US.

A major reason for this competition intensity is regarded as the opportunity to power AI, with the nation that leads securing the economic and other advantages.