US fusion start-up Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) plans to build the world’s first grid-scale commercial fusion power plant at the James River Industrial Park in Chesterfield County, Virginia. CFS has reached an agreement with Dominion Energy Virginia to provide non-financial collaboration, including development and technical expertise as well as leasing rights for the proposed site.
CFS conducted a global search for the site of its first commercial fusion power plant, known as ARC, which the company will independently finance, build, own, and operate.
CFS was spun out of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT’s) Plasma Science & Fusion Centre as a private company in 2018, and has since raised more than $2bn in funding. CFS is collaborating with MIT to leverage decades of research combined with new high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet technology. SPARC is a tokamak under development by CFS in collaboration with MIT’s Plasma Science & Fusion Centre, which is also designing the compact ARC (affordable, robust, compact) fusion reactor. SPARC is expected to produce its first plasma in 2026 and net fusion energy shortly after. ARC is expected to deliver power to the grid in the early 2030s. The company has so far raised more than $2bn in capital.
In 2023, the US Department of Energy’s Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE) programme awarded CFS three grants to fund research & development projects with the University of California at Berkeley, Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, and University of California at Los Angeles. CFS has received 21 INFUSE awards, and has past or present collaborative projects with 12 US National Labs and universities.
“This is a historic moment. In the early 2030s, all eyes will be on the Richmond region and more specifically Chesterfield County, Virginia, as the birthplace of commercial fusion energy,” said Bob Mumgaard, CFS CEO & Co-founder. “Virginia emerged as a strong partner as they look to implement innovative solutions for both reliable electricity and clean forms of power. We are pleased to collaborate with Dominion Energy.”
Edward H Baine, President of Dominion Energy Virginia said: “Our customers’ growing needs for reliable, carbon-free power benefits from as diverse a menu of power generation options as possible, and in that spirit, we are delighted to assist CFS in their efforts.”
CFS said the ARC fusion power plant project is expected to generate billions of dollars in economic development in the region and create hundreds of jobs during construction and long-term operation. ARC is expected to generate about 400 MWe – enough energy to power large industrial sites or about 150,000 homes.
