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Fusion energy is moving closer to commercial reality as private capital accelerates a technology once limited to research labs, promising large-scale carbon-free power without the long-lived radioactive waste of nuclear fission.
Massachusetts-based Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), the world’s largest private fusion company, is betting its magnet breakthrough can make fusion reactors commercially viable.
The company is building SPARC, a prototype machine expected to demonstrate net energy generation in 2027 — a milestone CEO and co-founder Bob Mumgaard describes as proof that “fusion is no longer a science project, it’s the next big thing in tech.”
In an interview with Zawya Projects, Mumgaard said fusion can deliver “almost limitless baseload, carbon-free power” independent of weather or geography, positioning it as a complement to renewables and a potential solution for energy-hungry industries such as AI-driven data centres and desalination.
Backed by more than $3 billion from investors including Google, NVentures and Middle East-based funds, CFS plans to follow SPARC with ARC, a 400-megawatt grid-scale fusion power plant expected in the early 2030s.
Mumgaard said Saudi Arabia and the UAE could act not only as investors but as early adopters, underscoring the Middle East’s potential role in scaling next-generation energy infrastructure.
Excerpts from the interview:
How will fusion fit into the global energy mix alongside renewables and nuclear?
Fusion is crucial to the future global energy mix. Fusion generates four times as much energy per pound (or kilogram) of fuel compared to fission, and nearly four million times more energy per pound (or kilogram) of fuel than burning coal. It can provide almost limitless baseload, carbon-free power – independent of geography or weather conditions – making it the ultimate energy source. Fusion also provides a good source of industrial process heat and electricity that is ideal for large power loads such as desalination.
Can fusion realistically meet AI and data centre power demand this decade?
Fusion is well poised to meet the growing power demands of data centres and AI. CFS is currently building SPARC, our prototype machine that, in 2027, is expected to produce more energy than needed to power the fusion process – a threshold known as Q>1 that demonstrates the commercial viability of the machine.
SPARC is the precursor to ARC, the world's first grid-scale fusion power plant. The first 400 megawatt (MW) ARC power plant will be built in Virginia, and is expected to be connected to the grid in the early 2030s.
As Middle East governments scale up clean energy investment, how does fusion fit into energy transition strategies beyond the US and Europe?
Fusion is a key technology to address rapidly growing energy demand. Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with their advanced technology leadership and demonstrated ability to organise, build, and execute innovative and ambitious clean energy projects, have the opportunity to be early investors, adopters, and accelerators of fusion energy technology.
With investment from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, how could the Middle East evolve from financial backer to deployment or strategic partner?
Investing in, and accelerating the development of, fusion will reinforce the region’s desire to play a leading role in deploying the next generation of energy technologies in the same way it has been a leader in advanced technologies like AI. Beyond investment, we anticipate opportunities to partner with leading academic institutions and benefit from the expertise in the region.
In the future, deployment of fusion energy in the region would help address rising energy demand and be aligned with the region’s leadership on advanced technology and energy.
CFS has raised nearly $3 billion from Google, NVentures and Gates Frontier, among others. What does that investor mix signal about fusion moving into the mainstream?
Global blue-chip and agenda-setting investors increasingly recognise that fusion is no longer a science project; it’s the next big thing in tech. CFS’ most recent funding round last year reflected an expanded global footprint, adding international investors from a widening range of sectors, including FFA Private Bank (Dubai) Ltd, Counterpoint Global (Morgan Stanley), as well as a consortium of 12 Japanese companies led by Mitsui & Co., Ltd. and Mitsubishi Corp.
JIMCO Technology Fund, based in Saudi Arabia, has also previously invested.
Your technology relies on high-temperature superconducting magnets validated by the US Department of Energy. Why are they critical to commercialising fusion?
Our high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets are the breakthrough innovation that will make fusion energy commercially viable for the first time in human history. These are the strongest fusion magnets of their kind in the world that will enable smaller, high-performing fusion systems at significantly lower cost.
What hurdles remain before fusion reaches the grid, and when could the first commercial power be delivered?
We recently announced a collaboration with NVIDIA and Siemens to develop a digital twin of the SPARC fusion machine. This virtual replica of SPARC will provide CFS with a way to run simulations, test hypotheses, and quickly compare experimental results, compressing years of manual experimentation into weeks of virtual optimisation.
In 2027, we expect SPARC to demonstrate net energy generation, producing more energy from fusion than it needs to power the process. The learnings of SPARC pave the way for ARC, the world's first grid-scale fusion power plant in the early 2030s, and we will scale from there.
(Reporting by SA Kader; Editing by Anoop Menon)
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