Technology and Scienceupdated 29m ago2 min read
Commonwealth Fusion Systems Receives $85 Million From U.S. Commerce To Develop Fusion Chips
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Commonwealth Fusion Systems receive $85 million from US government to develop fusion semiconductors and electronics Letter of intent funds CHIPS Act award to support SPARC and ARC fusion reactors
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$85 Million for Fusion Chips
Commonwealth Fusion Systems announced it would receive an $85 million prize from the U.S. government to develop advanced chips intended for the fusion energy industry, with the company saying the funding was awarded under the CHIPS Act by the Department of Commerce. Brandon Sorbom, cofounder and chief scientific officer of Commonwealth Fusion Systems, wrote that “Ultimately, that means a more capable and economical power plant, and a stronger U.S. supply chain to build it,” in a blog post.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems aims to activate its Sparc reactor in the coming year, while the company’s funding plan also targets longer-lasting electronics and a robust supply chain for moving beyond a single proof of concept. Commonwealth Fusion Systems would receive $85 million from the U.S. government to develop advanced chips for the fusion power industry, and it tied the award to the Department of Commerce’s CHIPS Act effort that also grants the government a stake in CFS.
Five Initiatives, Key Tech
Commonwealth Fusion Systems said the $85 million would be allocated to five different initiatives, starting with the improvement of silicon carbide power electronics used to manage high voltages.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems would also develop next-generation radiofrequency power generators used to heat fusion fuel, and it would create advanced electronics that allow faster reactor control and that are radiation-hardened.
TechCrunch said Commonwealth Fusion Systems plans to use part of the CHIPS award to adapt AI hardware like GPUs and TPUs for power plants, framing the effort as support for the electrical grid.
Semiecosystem said the U.S. Department of Commerce announced signing four letters of intent under the CHIPS and Science Act, and it said the government would receive a minority, non-controlling and non-voting equity stake in each company as a condition for making the awards.
ARC, SPARC, and Supply Chain
Energynews.pro said Commonwealth Fusion Systems signed a letter of intent for a proposed $85 million federal award under the CHIPS and Science Act, and it said the funding would target semiconductor technologies used in commercial fusion.
Bob Mumgaard, chief executive officer and co-founder of CFS, said, “This award marks an important opportunity to drive development of semiconductors and power electronics unique to the fusion industry,” while Howard Lutnick said the Trump Administration was accelerating American semiconductor innovation to enhance domestic energy and power resources.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems signed a letter of intent with the U.S. Department of Commerce for a proposed USD 85 million award, and it said the plan contemplates the U.S. government taking an equity stake in CFS.
Semiecosystem said Commonwealth Fusion Systems is a Devens, Mass.-based company collaborating with MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center to build SPARC, and it said the CHIPS program would provide up to $85 million for R&D to develop semiconductors for radio-frequency plasma heating, power electronics, embedded electronics for fusion diagnostics, and radiation-hardened electronics.