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India's Private Fusion Tokamak PRAGYA Achieves Plasma Operation

Bengaluru-based deep-tech energy startup Pranos Fusion has produced plasma in its experimental device PRAGYA. The company states that PRAGYA is India's first compact tokamak developed by a private enterprise, marking a transition in India's private fusion research and development from the design and manufacturing phase to experimental operation. PRAGYA adopts a compact, low-aspect-ratio tokamak design, primarily used to generate, confine, and control plasma. Tokamaks use strong magnetic fields to confine high-temperature plasma within a toroidal vacuum vessel, creating conditions for future fusion of light atomic nuclei. The fundamental process of fusion reactions is the same mechanism by which the Sun releases energy, but engineering implementation still faces multiple challenges in plasma confinement, magnets, materials, and control systems.

2026-09-04

Commissioning of the CRAFT Cryogenic System 6 kW@4.5 K Helium Refrigerator Successfully Completed

Recently, significant progress has been made in the construction of the helium refrigeration system on the CRAFT magnet platform. The on-site commissioning and performance testing of the main body of the CRAFT cryogenic system 6 kW@4.5 K helium refrigerator have been successfully completed, with all indicators meeting the design acceptance requirements. The commissioning work focused on systematic verification of the cold box refrigeration performance, liquefaction capacity, control system, safety interlocks, and the operating status of key cryogenic equipment. During the acceptance tests, the helium refrigerator completed 12 hours of continuous stable operation under design conditions, achieving a refrigeration capacity of 6 kW@4.5 K + 50 K@GHe. In addition to design conditions, the project team also conducted performance tests under helium liquefaction conditions, with relevant temperature, pressure,...

2026-09-03

U.S. Develops Refractory Metal Powder Atomization System to Support Fusion Energy Materials Research

U.S. researchers are developing a new refractory metal powder atomization system to produce high-temperature alloy powders for extreme-environment applications. The system will support new materials research in areas such as gas turbines, aerospace equipment, and fusion energy systems. Jordan Tiarks, a scientist at Ames National Laboratory, stated that the laboratory has long been engaged in specialty powder production research, and the new system will expand its materials processing capabilities to higher temperature ranges and more challenging material systems. The research team noted that metal powders are a critical foundation for advanced manufacturing technologies such as powder metallurgy and additive manufacturing...

2026-09-03

U.S. PACMAN AI Framework Achieves Millisecond-Level Control of Fusion Plasma

The PACMAN AI framework, developed by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) and Princeton University, has completed five experimental validations in real fusion experimental systems. The framework can complete data processing, state prediction, and control command output in approximately 20 milliseconds, addressing rapidly developing instabilities in fusion plasma. This is an artist's rendition of the PACMAN AI framework for fusion systems. (Illustration credit: Kyle Palmer / PPPL Communications Department) PACMAN stands for Prediction and Control via Machine Learning. Related design and preliminary experimental results have been published in...

2026-09-03

US Realta Fusion and MGE Plan to Jointly Develop 200 MW Fusion Power Plant

Realta Fusion, a company developing magnetic mirror fusion energy technology, announced on September 2 that it has established a strategic partnership with Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) and its parent company MGE Energy, Inc. The two parties will jointly evaluate the feasibility of co-developing a 200 MW electric-class fusion energy power plant in Wisconsin, USA. Under the collaboration arrangement, the first phase includes a direct equity investment by MGE Energy in Realta Fusion. MGE has also agreed to provide equipment, engineering, and technical support to Realta Fusion, as well as assistance in project siting, permitting, grid interconnection, and financing to advance preliminary work for the proposed 200 MW fusion power project.

2026-09-03

South Korea Plans to Increase R&D Investment in Nuclear Fusion and Small Modular Reactors

South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) stated on September 1 that in the 2027 government budget proposal approved at a Cabinet meeting, the ministry's budget amounts to 29.6476 trillion Korean won, an increase of 24.5% compared to this year's supplementary budget. Of this, the R&D budget is planned to increase from 11.9 trillion won this year to 14.1 trillion won, accounting for 36% of the South Korean government's total R&D budget. In the science and technology sector, MSIT plans to invest 12.377 trillion won in R&D related to next-generation artificial intelligence and advanced technologies. In explaining the budget proposal, the ministry's First Vice Minister stated that in response to the growing electricity demand driven by AI development, South Korea will accelerate the development of future clean energy sources such as small modular reactors (SMRs) and nuclear fusion...

2026-09-02

Global Advanced Nuclear Energy Market Report Focuses on SMR and Fusion Development

The recently released "Global Advanced Nuclear Energy Market Report 2027–2047" shows that the global advanced nuclear energy industry is transitioning from concept validation and early-stage R&D to a new phase where project deployment, capital inflow, and supply chain development proceed in parallel. The report uses 2027 as the base year with a two-year baseline period to assess the development trajectory of the advanced nuclear energy market over the next 20 years. It covers small modular reactors (SMRs), nuclear fusion, and a range of emerging advanced nuclear technologies, including molten salt reactors, high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, lead-cooled fast reactors, sodium-cooled fast reactors, microreactors, advanced fuel cycles, integrated nuclear energy systems, and the application of artificial intelligence in nuclear power plant operations...

2026-09-02

Rock Fusion AI Platform Streamlines the Entire Stellarator Design Workflow

Recently, the AI agent collaboration platform for stellarator design independently developed by Rock Fusion has achieved full coverage of the entire design workflow, encompassing key stages such as zero-dimensional parameter design, plasma configuration optimization and performance analysis, as well as coil engineering feasibility assessment. The company stated that the platform can search over a thousand initial configurations and hundreds of thousands of coil schemes, reducing the typical design iteration cycle from several weeks to several days. Rock Fusion stellarator concept image. Leveraging this platform, Rock Fusion has completed the full-machine physics design of a medium-sized superconducting stellarator with a major radius of 2 meters and a central magnetic field of 3 tesla. Design work for the company's other devices under development is also being advanced on the same platform. Stellarators rely on external three-dimensional coils to directly generate helical magnetic fields, eliminating the need to sustain magnetic confinement through plasma current. This mechanism inherently reduces the risk of major disruptions faced by tokamaks and offers the potential for long-pulse steady-state operation. In 2025, Germany's Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) stellarator achieved significant progress in the "triple product" metric during long-duration discharges, drawing greater attention to the stellarator route.

2026-09-02

Japan's Helical Fusion Technology Selected as Candidate for METI's Fusion Demonstration Program

Helical Fusion Co., Ltd. has recently been selected as a final candidate for the fusion power demonstration project support program by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). The program aims to align with Japan's national fusion strategy, advancing fusion energy into the demonstration phase by the 2030s and building the technical foundation for subsequent commercialization. The left image shows Helix HARUKA, Helical Fusion's integrated demonstration device; the right image shows Helix KANATA, Helical Fusion's fusion test plant. Under the current arrangement, the program will provide approximately 60 billion yen in government funding over three years through 2028, supporting private-sector R&D across multiple fusion technology...

2026-09-01

U.S. University Establishes Fusion Energy Seed Fund to Support Four Interdisciplinary Research Projects

The Institute for Fusion Studies at The University of Texas at Austin recently launched a fusion energy seed fund to support four interdisciplinary research projects. These projects will bring together teams from plasma physics, engineering, and computational science to address challenges in control, materials, particle confinement, and edge plasma simulation faced by fusion devices such as tokamaks. The fund is supported by the Institute for Fusion Studies (IFS), the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering ...

2026-09-01

Japan's Kyoto Fusioneering Secures Series D Funding Led by Korea-Japan Fusion Fund

IMM Investment Japan (IMMJ) announced on September 1 that it has led the Series D funding round for Kyoto Fusioneering, a Japanese fusion energy company. The investment was made through the Korea-Japan Fusion Fund, established jointly by Korean and Japanese investors. The fund, initiated by IMMJ, is positioned as a cross-border project fund designed to connect the capital and industrial networks of major Korean corporations with Japan's cutting-edge technology companies. Investors participating in the fund include POSCO Holdings, POSCO International, Doosan, Hyundai Motor, and GS...

2026-09-01

Tennessee Issues First-Ever Commercial Fusion-Specific Permit in the U.S. to Type One Energy

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has issued Type One Energy the state's first permit specifically for a fusion energy facility, allowing the company to advance fusion-related projects at the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) Bull Run Energy Complex in Clinton. Tennessee officials stated this is the first permit of its kind in the United States issued under a new state-level fusion regulatory framework. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, alongside fusion energy partners, presented the first U.S. permit specifically for a commercial fusion facility on Monday at the Organization of American States (OAS) annual meeting in Nashville. (LR) TVA Interim...

2026-09-01

Signed Article by Liu Mingsheng, Chairman and Party Secretary of State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC)

Seizing the High Ground of Future Energy, Accelerating the Pace of Green Transformation Liu Mingsheng, Chairman and Party Secretary of State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) At present, a new round of technological revolution is converging historically with the green, low-carbon transformation of energy, and future industries are becoming a strategic battleground for reshaping the global competitive landscape. General Secretary Xi Jinping's series of important remarks on future industries, made from the strategic height of advancing the building of a strong nation and the great cause of national rejuvenation, provide important guidance for developing future industries, building a modern industrial system, and grasping the initiative in development. As the world's largest clean energy power generation enterprise, SPIC has always regarded the development of future industries as a strategic lever for safeguarding the nation's long-term energy security and winning the initiative in development...

2026-08-31

Korea's Eugene MS Wins KRW 11.4 Billion Order for ITER Core Components

Korea's Eugene MS announced on August 31 that it has signed a contract with the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE) to produce and supply the second batch of vacuum vessel port sealing flanges for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The contract is valued at approximately KRW 11.4 billion, equivalent to about 44% of Eugene MS's 2025 revenue of KRW 25.9 billion. The contract period runs through December 2030. Under the arrangement, the sealing flanges will be delivered to the ITER Organization in three batches, with final inspection and related procedures scheduled for completion by June 30, 2031. The ITER vacuum vessel port sealing flanges consist of large fasteners and other components...

2026-08-31

Taiwan plans to include small modular reactors and nuclear fusion in new energy exploration

Taiwan's administrative agency head Cho Jung-tai stated on August 26 that, in response to the rapid global development of energy technologies, Taiwan maintains an open attitude toward new nuclear energy technologies and has gradually invested in research and evaluation of directions such as small modular reactors (SMRs) and nuclear fusion. Relevant budgets have been included in discussions, and the central government's general budget for the next fiscal year also plans to allocate funds for engaging with and tracking global nuclear fusion technology progress. Cho Jung-tai stated at a new energy forum that day that, for Taiwan, energy types that have not yet entered large-scale commercial application or whose research and development technologies are still immature can all be regarded as targets for new energy exploration. In addition to technologies such as geothermal, small hydropower, and hydrogen energy, new nuclear energy has also been listed as a direction for future sustained observation and research...

2026-08-31