General Atomics Secures DOE Funding to Advance Vital Fusion Energy Research and Development
SAN DIEGO— Press release by General Atomics
Original source: General Atomics, February 10, 2025. Click here for the article link
Funding Will Drive Target Fabrication and Laser Study for Commercial Inertial Fusion Power Plants and Support Critical Systems Research for Magnetic Fusion Energy
SAN DIEGO (Feb. 10, 2025) — Scientists at General Atomics (GA) are delighted this week after receiving funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for important fusion energy research. As part of the Fusion Innovative Research Engine (FIRE) Collaboratives, the DOE has awarded more than $107 million to six pioneering projects nationwide, including the GA-led Collaborative Target Injector Nexus for Experimental Development (TINEX)—a program dedicated to overcoming critical obstacles in developing and scaling inertial fusion power plants—as well as two other initiatives that the company supports through its extensive scientific expertise.
This funding reaffirms GA’s position as a leader in fusion energy innovation, alongside its partners: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University, Colorado State University, University of California San Diego, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
“We are excited to use the TINEX collaboration to bring fusion energy closer to commercialization,” said Neil Alexander, director of Inertial Fusion Energy for General Atomics Energy Group. “Developing this technology has been a lifelong passion for many because it has the potential to provide a sustainable, long-term energy source for humanity’s future needs.”
The TINEX collaboration includes an industrial council of leading inertial fusion power plant companies, including Xcimer Energy, Marvel Fusion, Longview Energy Systems, LaserFusionX, HB11, Focused Energy, and Blue Laser Fusion. The council will guide partners in developing practical solutions to critical industry challenges, such as the fabrication and use of fusion fuel targets—tiny, gas-filled capsules that are delivered into a confinement chamber and struck by high-powered lasers to generate intense heat. In addition, the project will tackle other obstacles that may arise in a full-scale power plant, such as managing debris inside the chamber, mitigating damage to optical systems caused by capsule fragments, improving capsule resilience to high temperatures, and creating tracking sensors to accurately aim lasers at the fast-moving capsules.
In addition to leading TINEX, GA will participate in two other DOE-funded projects. The Fuel Cycle Fusion Innovative Research Engine, led by Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), will address environmental challenges in scaling up fusion power, particularly those related to the fuel cycle. The Blanket Neutron Test Fusion Innovative Research Engine, led by Idaho National Laboratory (INL), will focus on fusion blanket development, a crucial component of fusion power plant design that captures the energy and transports it from the fusion core for conversion into electricity. The project will enable scientists to test neutron impacts on blanket components and develop predictive modeling and simulation tools.
GA will provide engineering expertise and facility modeling for both confinement fusion projects, utilizing its FUSE program to establish operational fusion plant states that meet stakeholder requirements.
To read full story click ↓↓↓↓
About Blue Laser Fusion, Inc.
Blue Laser Fusion Inc. (BLF) is a leading fusion energy company based in Santa Barbara, CA with offices in Silicon Valley and Tokyo, Japan. The company is commercializing a proprietary and novel laser fusion technology to achieve the world’s first carbon-free, on demand, renewable, clean energy generation and to accelerate a transition to an electrified world. BLF aims to commercialize a GW scale reactor to provide power to the grid to meet the acute and increasing demand for clean energy for data centers and to support the AI revolution, for semiconductor chip fabrication facilities and chemical and steel production plants, as well as for electric vehicles and homes. The company has a comprehensive IP portfolio with more than 100 patents and applications internationally. To learn more, please visit:
