Pioneering a New Era of Fusion Power
Helion Energy is advancing one of the most ambitious projects in clean energy with the goal of delivering commercial fusion electricity to the grid by 2028. Unlike conventional fusion machines that rely on massive toroidal magnets, Helion is developing a radically different approach that could transform the global energy sector by providing virtually limitless, zero-carbon electricity at an exceptionally low cost. With this vision, Helion stands at the forefront of a possible new era in power generation.
The company’s objective is to build the world’s first grid-connected fusion power plant capable of achieving net-positive energy output and delivering electricity directly to consumers. Backed by over $1 billion in funding and strategic partnerships with major players such as Microsoft and Nucor, Helion is positioning fusion as a scalable and practical solution to global decarbonization. Their cost target of producing electricity at roughly one cent per kilowatt-hour highlights the disruptive potential of their technology.
What makes Helion unique is its departure from conventional fusion designs. Instead of the complex and costly infrastructure of tokamaks, Helion employs a linear pulsed system that forms and accelerates plasma rings, known as Field Reversed Configurations, which are then merged and compressed at supersonic speed to reach fusion conditions. Unlike traditional systems that rely on heating water to drive turbines, Helion captures the charged fusion products directly as electricity, avoiding intermediate steps and inefficiencies.
Furthermore, the company’s chosen fuel cycle—deuterium and helium-3—produces very few neutrons, dramatically reducing radiation concerns and nearly eliminating the issue of long-lived nuclear waste.
At the heart of this approach is a three-step process: the creation and merging of high-energy plasmas, their rapid compression with pulsed magnetic fields, and the triggering of aneutronic fusion reactions. Most of the energy released comes in the form of charged particles, which are harnessed directly by induction coils. To ensure a steady fuel supply, Helion also produces helium-3 on-site through side reactions of deuterium and the decay of tritium, addressing one of the major challenges of aneutronic fusion.
If successful, the implications for the clean energy sector are profound. Fusion promises an inexhaustible supply of power derived from readily available resources, without carbon emissions or the environmental challenges associated with fission. Helion’s technology could deliver the kind of reliable baseload power needed to decarbonize heavy industries such as steelmaking and to meet the growing demands of data centers. With minimal neutron emissions and inherent safety features that allow for immediate shutdown, the regulatory environment is likely to be far less stringent than that of traditional nuclear power, enabling faster deployment and reduced costs.
The key is to use those interconnections successfully to repower with more efficient and more clean energy resources