The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has selected six projects in the Fusion Innovative Research Engine (FIRE) Collaboratives eligible for $107 million in funding. The department also noted the completion of early critical-path science and technology milestones by several privately funded fusion companies participating in the Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program. Both programs are administered by the DOE’s Fusion Energy Sciences program in the Office of Science. The FIRE Collaboratives are aimed at creating a fusion energy science and technology innovation ecosystem by forming virtual, centrally managed teams with a collective goal of bridging Fusion Energy Sciences' basic science research programs with the needs of the growing fusion industry, including the activities supported under the Milestone Program. The first awards for the FIRE Collaboratives support materials and technologies required by a diverse set of fusion concepts. They include developing nuclear blanket testing capabilities at Idaho National Laboratory, materials development at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, materials testing and advanced simulation capabilities at the MIT, target injector technology for inertial fusion energy concepts, and fusion fuel-cycle testing capabilities at Savannah River National Laboratory. Total anticipated funding for FIRE collaboratives is $180 million for projects lasting up to four years in duration. Additional awards drawing from the same pool of proposals may be made in the future. This is contingent on the availability of funds appropriated by Congress. The list of projects and more information can be found on the Fusion Energy Sciences program homepage. Early Progress in the Milestone Program Modeled after a NASA program, the Milestone Program provides privately funded fusion companies with federal payments following DOE verification of completed milestones. The program, the DOE said, benefits companies through nondilutive capital received from the government, as well as through validation of milestone completion, both of which are helpful for subsequent private fundraising. To date, Milestone Program awardees have collectively raised over $350 million of new private funding since their selection into the program was announced in May 2023, compared to the $46 million of federal funding initially committed for negotiated milestones. Completed milestones include Focused Energy’s computational modeling for a high-gain target design for laser-driven inertial fusion energy, and the demonstration of ion-beam focusing to support the fast-ignition approach to inertial fusion energy, also completed by Focused Energy. Quantitative metrics were required to be met for these milestones, though the specific metrics are typically protected information of the companies. Other Milestone Program awardees include Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Realta Fusion, Thea Energy, Tokamak Energy, Type One Energy, Xcimer Energy, and Zap Energy. All eight awardees are presently working toward presenting preconceptual designs and technology roadmaps of their fusion pilot plant concepts within the first 18 months of the Milestone Program — roughly late 2025. If they successfully meet these milestones, they will proceed into the next phase of the Milestone Program, where all the awardees are planning to build and operate major next-step integrated experiments and/or demonstrate some of the critical underlying technologies for their plants. Continued progress in the Milestone Program is contingent on Congressional appropriations, successful negotiation of future milestones, and successful progress in the program.
