Rapid Report | Commercial Fusion Energy: From Ignition to Deployment
Advances in plasma science and engineering, driver technology, materials, advanced manufacturing, high-performance computing, and accelerating developments in artificial intelligence are building a strong foundation for fusion reactor systems.
The achievement of breakeven fusion energy at the National Ignition Facility in 2022 and growing interest from private-sector investment have increased confidence that fusion can become a practical source of carbon-free power. As fusion technologies move closer to commercial deployment, attention is increasingly turning toward the engineering capabilities required to build, operate, and sustain fusion systems.
To identify high-impact engineering research opportunities for the decades ahead, ERVA convened 48 experts from academia, industry, national laboratories, and government, spanning fusion science and engineering, materials research, computation, AI, and systems design expertise. Together, they examined the engineering capabilities, emerging technologies, and research directions that could enable fusion energy to evolve from fusion pilot plants to first-of-a-kind commercial energy systems.
The workshop participants identified five key research domains and engineering research capabilities required to transform fusion from a collection of viable technologies into a scalable and enduring energy industry:
- Sustainable Fuel Cycles and Fusion Resource Stewardship
- Materials, Testing, Manufacturing, and Qualification at Scale
- Reliable, Maintainable, and Autonomous Fusion Plants
- Integrated Energy Conversion; and
- Enabling Technologies
This ERVA Rapid Report was produced by the event organizers to rapidly present emerging engineering research opportunities. Please download and share with your colleagues. A more comprehensive report that includes deeper discussion points and key research priority topics will be released at a later date.
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