Commonwealth Fusion Systems Wins $85 Million Federal Award to Develop Chips for Fusion Plants

Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) said on Thursday that it will receive $85 million from the U.S. government to develop advanced semiconductors for the fusion power industry.

The money comes from a CHIPS Act award issued by the Department of Commerce. The agreement also gives the government a stake in CFS. According to the company, the funding will strengthen research and development and expand manufacturing capacity for chips in the United States.

The award arrives as fusion startups race to finish their first demonstration machines. CFS is aiming to switch on its Sparc reactor sometime next year. A single reactor, however, serves mainly as a proof point. Companies hoping to build dozens of commercial fusion plants will need more durable power electronics and a dependable supply chain.

"Ultimately, that means a more capable, economical power plant and a stronger U.S. supply chain to build it," Brandon Sorbom, co-founder and chief science officer at CFS, wrote in a blog post.

The award will be directed toward five initiatives. The first is the advancement of silicon carbide power electronics. These semiconductors are widely used to manage high voltages and appear in products ranging from LEDs and electric vehicles to cell phone base stations and data centers. They are also used in fusion machines, where intense bursts of electricity drive the superconducting magnets that confine plasma inside a reactor.

CFS also plans to develop next-generation radio-frequency power generators, which the company uses to heat fusion fuel. Another effort will focus on advanced electronics that allow faster control of the reactor and are hardened against radiation. The company said the radiation-hardened electronics could extend the lifespan of components inside a fusion power plant, which would reduce operating costs.

The last initiative involves adapting AI hardware, such as GPUs and TPUs, for use in power plants.

"The funding would help improve the U.S. chip and power electronics industries at the same time it accelerates fusion energy's progress toward the electrical grid," Sorbom said.