Commonwealth Fusion Systems Wins Two DOE INFUSE Awards to Help Commercialize Fusion Energy

DEVENS, Mass., Aug. 9, 2024 — Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) announced today the company won two awards from the Department of Energy’s INFUSE program to help advance fusion energy.

The awards accelerate the development of both the SPARC tokamak to demonstrate net fusion energy, a device CFS is building now, and its commercial power plant successor, ARC. Specifically, the awards fund work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory on:

• Using computer modeling to help inform how to operate SPARC’s exhaust system
• Developing a laser-based method to measure the state of the molten salt “blanket” that breeds fuel and transfers heat energy in ARC

The awards were two of 17 INFUSE awards the DOE announced, totaling $4.6 million for 2024. The INFUSE program is designed to spur fusion energy by funding collaborations between private companies with universities and DOE’s National Labs. CFS has now won 23 INFUSE awards since the program’s start.

“INFUSE is an example of an effective public-private partnership program,” said Michael Segal, Senior Director of Open Innovation at CFS. “It’s nimble, has attracted a growing and engaged community, and has built a history of execution.”

Established in 2019, INFUSE is sponsored by the Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program office within DOE’s Office of Science. It’s part of the DOE Fusion Energy Strategy 2024, announced in June, that seeks to accelerate the viability of commercial fusion energy in partnership with the private sector. Like the much larger Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program, the INFUSE program shares costs with private companies pursuing fusion energy. In June, CFS signed an agreement worth $15 million in the first phase of the Milestone program.

About Commonwealth Fusion Systems

Commonwealth Fusion Systems is the world’s leading and largest private fusion company. The company’s marquee fusion project, SPARC, will generate net energy, paving the way for limitless carbon-free energy. The company has raised more than $2 billion in capital since it was founded in 2018.

Contact: press@cfs.energy