On March 8, 2024, Longview Fusion Energy Systems said that it has enlisted engineering and construction firm Fluor to design a laser fusion power plant — a step toward the company's stated goal of delivering power to the grid via its fusion pilot plant by the early 2030s. The California-based Longview aims to use the same laser-based fusion approach championed at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). According to Longview, its fusion power plants (1000-1600 MW) will be able to provide enough power to cover the needs of a small city when operating at full capacity, or provide process heat or power to drive industrial production of the materials needed for operational necessities like steel, fertilizer, and hydrogen fuel. Longview unveiled plans to build a laser fusion power plant concurrently with the U.S. Department of Energy’s December 2022 announcement regarding NIF’s net gain in energy. The company is collaborating with LLNL on the STARFIRE Hub which aims to accelerate fusion technologies through advances in designs and laser technologies. Fluor and Longview signed an MOU last April spanning design and planning for the facility.
