The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is focusing on the future with a new Fusion Science and Technology (FS&T) Roadmap, taking a curated, stepping-stone approach to commercializing the energy resource. 

Fusion power is energy generated by combining two light atoms such as hydrogen to form a heavier atom like helium, similar to how the sun produces power. The FS&T Roadmap is designed to “accelerate the development and commercialization of fusion energy on the most rapid, responsible timeline in history,” according to the DOE.

The goal of the program is to coordinate and increase domestic grid production, decrease reliance on other sources and bolster the supply chain with American-produced energy. There are challenges in creating fusion energy, including engineering a cost-competitive power structure, public funding for research and development and dealing with burning plasmas where the heat origination is the fusion reaction itself. In addition, managing activated waste in structural materials will necessitate tailored storage and recycling options.

Aligning public and private resources

“For the first time, DOE, industry and our National Labs will be aligned with a shared purpose—to accelerate the path to commercial fusion power and strengthen America’s leadership in energy innovation,” said the DOE’s Under Secretary for Science, Dario Gill.  “The Department is streamlining the full strength of the U.S. scientific and industrial base to deliver fusion energy faster than ever before.”

The FS&T Roadmap was developed with input from hundreds of scientists, engineers and industry stakeholders. The roadmap is a unified plan under the moniker Build-Innovate-Grow, with the following goals:

• Build critical infrastructure to close fusion materials and technology gaps.
• Innovate through advanced research, high-performance computing and artificial intelligence.
• Grow the U.S. fusion ecosystem through public-private partnerships, regional manufacturing hubs and workforce development.

Commercialization of fusion energy

The FS&T plan is on track to commercialize fusion energy by the mid-2030s, delivering a public infrastructure that supports scaling up the power resource in the private sector. 

Magnetic confinement research facilities at national laboratories and universities, DOE stated, have provided better understanding in how to generate and sustain fusion reactions and eventually produce power from them. This progress motivated global collaboration on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) experiment, a project designed to build the world’s largest fusion reactor to prove the viability of fusion energy as a clean power source. Originating in southern France, some 27 countries, including the United States, have been working with scientists and engineers on ITER since the idea first came to light in 1985 to design a demonstration fusion reactor for testing.

The FS&T Roadmap will be executed in three stages over the next 10 years and include:

• Delivering a viable and scalable FS&T infrastructure to close critical gaps
• Building the A.I.-fusion digital convergence platform
• Pursuing innovative and transformative research across technologies to mitigate risk
• Advancing toward cost-competitive fusion power plants by delivering energy cost effectively and efficiently
• Expanding public-private partnership programs to minimize risk
• Seeding fusion supply chains to establish distribution mechanisms
• Enabling fusion workforce pathways for training and education
• Leveraging advanced nuclear research, development and deployment
• Supporting a practical path to fusion energy adoption
• Providing a path to commercialization with a transition and readiness phase

  With investments from the public and private sectors, as well as curated strategies for deployment, the FS&T Roadmap will create the mechanisms to usher the country toward fusion energy.