General Fusion, a leader in fusion energy innovation, has introduced a groundbreaking Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) machine that promises to propel the company’s technical advancements. The new fusion device is strategically designed to expedite General Fusion’s progress towards achieving fusion conditions surpassing 100 million degrees Celsius by 2025, while also moving closer to achieving scientific breakeven by 2026. The company has recently secured significant funding, totaling $25 million USD (approximately $33.5 million CAD), in its Series F raise. The round was anchored by existing investors BDC Capital and GIC, along with additional grant funding from the Government of British Columbia, building on the Canadian government’s ongoing support through the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF).

This pioneering machine represents a critical advancement in General Fusion’s Demonstration Program, aimed at leveraging recent technological breakthroughs to bring commercial fusion energy to the grid by the early to mid-2030s. The MTF demonstration, named Lawson Machine 26 (LM26), is expected to play a pivotal role in de-risking and accelerating General Fusion’s journey towards achieving practical fusion energy solutions.

LM26 utilizes General Fusion’s innovative approach to fusion, capitalizing on the cost-efficient and rapid nature of the company’s unique technique. This demonstration device will validate the symmetric compression of magnetized plasmas, achieving fusion conditions at scale. Integrating General Fusion’s operational plasma injector (PI3) with a new lithium liner compression system, LM26 builds upon extensive research and development, including over 200,000 plasma experiments and the culmination of 24 predecessor prototypes. This approach has already achieved significant milestones, including plasma temperatures of five million degrees Celsius and a self-sustaining energy confinement time of 10 milliseconds. These achievements are critical steps towards LM26’s goals of achieving fusion conditions by 2025 and scientific breakeven by 2026.

Over the next two to three years, General Fusion will collaborate closely with the UK Atomic Energy Authority to validate data from LM26 and incorporate these findings into the design of a planned commercial-scale demonstration in the UK.

What sets General Fusion’s MTF technology apart is its scalability and cost-efficiency. Unlike other fusion approaches that rely on expensive superconducting magnets or high-powered lasers, General Fusion’s approach is designed for streamlined power plant scalability. This unique feature paves a shorter path towards generating zero-carbon electricity for the grid, addressing challenges related to fusion’s commercialization more effectively. General Fusion’s innovative methodology has garnered substantial support, with investments from figures such as Jeff Bezos and contributions from the Canadian and Malaysian governments.

Greg Twinney, CEO of General Fusion, expressed optimism about the company’s progress, stating, “Commercializing fusion energy is within reach, and General Fusion is ready to deliver it to the grid by the 2030s.” The company’s MTF machine stands out for its innovative approach to producing tritium sustainably, significantly reducing fuel costs. As the fusion landscape continues to evolve, General Fusion’s transformative technology brings the prospect of practical fusion energy closer to reality.

By Impact Lab