Commonwealth Fusion Systems

Glad to join the Special Competitive Studies Project - SCSP’s Commission on the Scaling of Fusion Energy. My goal is to position the United States at the forefront of the fusion energy race, and we’ll need a strong U.S. government position to do so. Fusion is a key to the global energy transition. The U.S. has made progress convening industry, academia, and government to build the most dynamic fusion ecosystem. The signing of the ADVANCE Act this month is just one example of firmly establishing fusion commercialization as a goal. However, things are changing quickly and the U.S. risks falling behind if it doesn't better align all of these stakeholders. I anticipate that the Commission will spur a vibrant conversation among fusion leaders at private companies like myself, policymakers, and academics. All are perspectives we need to level up the U.S. fusion program and create a fusion industry that works for everyone. Thank you Senator Maria Cantwell, Senator Jim Risch, and Ylli Bajraktari for your leadership as Chairs. https://lnkd.in/eTpQFtNr #FusionEnergy #EnergyTransition

Have you ever seen a mirror fusion device create plasma? University of Wisconsin-Madison hit first plasma in their WHAM device last week with the help of our high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets and our CEO Bob Mumgaard was there to see it happen. How does it work? Hydrogen atoms are heated to millions of degrees to become plasma, a state of matter where the electrons and nucleus in each atom separate. The negatively charged electrons and positively charged nuclei in the plasma move along the path of the magnetic field. This keeps the plasma hot by making sure it doesn’t touch the colder walls of the fusion device. Mirrors are similar to tokamaks (like CFS is building) in some ways (both use magnets), but in mirrors the plasma particles bounce back and forth between the big magnets at the ends of the machine while in tokamaks they go all the way around the circle of the donut. You can watch the moment WHAM hits first plasma in the video below. #fusion #FusionEnergy #HTSMagnets #EnergyTransition

Congratulations to the WHAM team at University of Wisconsin-Madison for their first plasma this week! This remarkable milestone in fusion energy research underscores the potential of our HTS technology to revolutionize not only our SPARC tokamak but also other pioneering projects. #FusionEnergy #Fusion

We are focused on delivering the urgent transition to fusion energy. Through our magnet business, we’re able to help drive the focus on fusion forward while lowering costs. Special thanks to TechCrunch and Tim De Chant for featuring our partnership with University of Wisconsin-Madison to explain the impact our magnets can have on the industry at large. https://tcrn.ch/463vbkK #FusionEnergy #ClimateTech

If you’re a technician, you can be part of the team that makes our sustainable energy a reality. Don’t miss your last chance to register for our Career Day happening July 13 from 2–5 p.m. at our campus in Devens, Massachusetts. We’re hiring techs with 3+ years of experience in roles like assembly, welding, testing, and handling wiring and electromechanical parts. Openings are available on second and third shifts. Register here: https://bit.ly/3XX5Ab4

As Chief Commercial Officer for a fusion energy startup I tell people that my job is to help commercialize our fusion power plants, which are a few years out, as well as some of the technologies that we’ve developed along the way. Today I get to share the great news that we just delivered the first product from one of those technologies. Commonwealth Fusion Systems just shipped a pair of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets to the University of Wisconsin–Madison for a fusion energy experiment called WHAM (Wisconsin HTS Axisymmetric Mirror). WHAM is made possible by the same technology we use in the powerful magnets in our own SPARC fusion machine now under construction, but applied in a different architecture. It’s just one partnership, but it’s an important first step in our business. Because HTS magnets are key enablers across a range of applications, CFS expertise and capabilities can help bring valuable products to life for other customers. This essentially allows us to build a horizontal business supplying magnets for other applications alongside our vertically integrated business of designing, developing, and deploying our own fusion power plants. For the WHAM magnets, we did more work than just wind metal-clad superconductors into the flat coil shapes used in the university’s experiment. We modeled, designed, and tested the magnets. We packaged them into an integrated assembly that includes cooling and control systems. And our software will run the whole magnet system. In other words, we brought our full range of capabilities to bear on this magnet design. And we know others in the industry can appreciate that range of abilities, because some have approached us for our magnet business. We're keen to apply our expertise here to help build CFS's business while partnering with customers with new products that in many cases can help bend the curve on climate and address humanity's surging need for power. https://lnkd.in/g7anvKnd

It’s time to share the love when it comes to our magnet technology. We now have a business commercializing the high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet technology we developed for our own fusion systems. Our first commercial deal is for the new WHAM fusion experiment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Better magnets make many approaches to confining a plasma and triggering fusion better,” our CEO Bob Mumgaard says. Learn more below about WHAM’s two identical magnets, Thing 1 and Thing 2, and watch them arrive on campus. #FusionEnergy #Fusion #Science

We’re building the future of fusion here at CFS. And we want you to grow with us. We’re hiring dedicated individuals with skills in assembly, welding, testing, and handling wiring and electromechanical parts. We’re looking for technicians with 3+ years of experience to fill second and third shift positions on our team of top talent from around the world. Do you thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and have a passion for combating climate change? Register today for our Career Day happening this Saturday,July 13, from 2–5 p.m. at our Devens, Massachusetts campus: https://bit.ly/3XX5Ab4

The atmosphere at the Breakthrough Energy Summit was buzzing with discussions about climate tech and the fusion energy industry. We, along with other leaders in tech, science, and policy, used the event to show climate tech will scale globally. Highlights: ⭐ Bill Gates and our CEO Bob Mumgaard discussed our high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets, core to our SPARC tokamak ⭐ A “pancake” from our toroidal field model coil (TFMC) was on display ⭐ Our partner Vinod Khosla highlighted our work during his keynote ⭐ Our CEO published an open letter to demystify the process of evaluating fusion energy companies Check out the full highlight reel here. #BESummit24 #FusionEnergy

With the stroke of a pen today, President Biden signed the ADVANCE Act into law, and with it locked in the certainty that the fusion industry needs to develop, build, and scale commercial fusion power in the United States. The new law effectively codifies the unanimous decision by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in April 2023 to regulate commercial fusion energy completely separately from fission. Regulating fusion this way, under a byproduct materials framework, ensures the US regulatory and licensing approach is matched to the operational realities of fusion power plants. And that enables companies like CFS to innovate on their designs while also protecting public health and safety. This is the same process CFS is using to license SPARC in Devens, Massachusetts. We know it works here, and that’s how it’ll help let fusion thrive here in the US, too. We want to give special thanks to the original champions in Congress of the bill — initially called the Fusion Energy Act — including Representatives Chuck Fleischmann Representative Lori Trahan, Congressman Jay Obernolte, Don Beyer, Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and Ranking Member Frank Pallone. In the Senate, the bill was led by Senators Alex Padilla, John Cornyn, Corey Booker, Todd Young, and Patty Murray, along with Chairman Tom Carper and Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito. It's an exciting time in commercial fusion. Having the regulatory certainty we need, first in the United Kingdom and now in the US, is critical for this new industry. https://bit.ly/4eTSx06