Commercial fusion milestone sets stage for next-gen power

Commercial fusion milestone sets stage for next-gen power
by Sophie Jenkins
London, UK (SPX) Mar 30, 2025

Successfully tapping into fusion energy's potential could transform the global energy landscape with a clean and virtually limitless power source. In a major advance toward that vision, Type One Energy has introduced a detailed and validated physics framework for its proposed fusion pilot plant.

This achievement is detailed across six peer-reviewed studies featured in a dedicated issue of the *Journal of Plasma Physics* (JPP), published by Cambridge University Press. These publications form the scientific cornerstone of Type One Energy's upcoming fusion plant, which is being developed in collaboration with the Tennessee Valley Authority in the United States.

Alex Schekochihin, Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Oxford and JPP Editor, praised the development: "JPP is very proud to provide a platform for rigorous peer review and publication of the papers presenting the physics basis of the Infinity Two stellarator - an innovative and ground-breaking addition to the expanding family of proposed fusion power plant designs."

He continued: "Fusion science and technology are experiencing a period of very rapid development, driven by both public and private enthusiasm for fusion power. In this environment of creative and entrepreneurial ferment, it is crucial that new ideas and designs are both publicly shared and thoroughly scrutinised by the scientific community - Type One Energy and JPP are setting the gold standard for how this is done (as we did with Commonwealth Fusion Systems 5 years ago for their SPARC physics basis)."

The new framework accounts for the intricate, interdependent conditions necessary to achieve stable and productive fusion energy. It leverages insights from stellarator-based systems-which confine plasma using twisted magnetic fields-to provide a scalable path forward.

Stellarator technology, already demonstrating strong performance at Germany's Wendelstein 7-X, forms the foundation for the Infinity Two concept. The challenge now is translating that success into a plant capable of reliably feeding energy into the grid.

With energy demand rising globally and concerns about sustainability intensifying, this new physics design arrives at a pivotal moment. Type One Energy CEO Christofer Mowry highlighted the practical significance of the work: "The physics basis for our new fusion power plant is grounded in Type One Energy's expert knowledge about reliable, economic, electrical generation for the power grid. We have an organisation that understands this isn't only about designing a science project."

The research represents a collaborative effort, uniting Type One Energy with a broad international network of scientists and institutions. Contributors included national laboratories and universities, with key computational modeling carried out on the Department of Energy's exascale Frontier supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

While commercial fusion power remains on the horizon, this comprehensive design framework brings it closer to becoming a practical and scalable energy solution for the future.

Research Report:Physics basis of the Infinity Two fusion power plant