The Fusion Industry Association (FIA) proposed to the U.S. Congress recently an additional $3 billion allocation for strategic investments in fusion commercialization. The FIA stated that if the Department of Energy could make a one-time investment of $3 billion in fusion commercialization research and infrastructure, it would position the U.S. at the forefront of the global nuclear fusion energy race.
The report noted that China has established a new state-owned company to lead its nuclear fusion energy commercialization efforts and is building research hardware and testing facilities that the U.S. deemed essential for public nuclear fusion projects four years ago.
The FIA emphasized that fusion energy is positioned as a technology that can significantly impact the global economy. If the U.S. fails to keep pace with China and cannot establish its commercial nuclear fusion R&D capabilities and hardware, the U.S. economy, energy, and national security interests will face serious threats. To maintain its leadership position in the rapidly evolving global nuclear fusion economy, the U.S. Department of Energy should align with the Long-Range Plan (LRP) and invest immediately to narrow the R&D gap and cultivate the fusion industry, workforce, and supply chain.
Regarding the allocation of this $3 billion, the FIA proposed the following:
$1.5 billion for key commercial R&D facilities, including critical equipment, test beds, and hardware facilities that will help bridge scientific research gaps. Key facilities include:
Fusion Prototypic Neutron Source (FPNS)
Blanket Component Test Facility (BCTF)
High-Heat-Flux (HHF) testing facilities
Matter in Extreme Conditions Petawatt Upgrade (MEC-U)
Material Plasma Exposure Experiment (MPEX)
High-Repetition-Rate Laser Facility
$1 billion to expand public-private partnerships based on the milestone plan. This involves leveraging private capital to design commercial fusion facilities and promoting collaboration among companies, national laboratories, universities, international organizations, and community organizations involved in the milestone plan to close commercialization R&D gaps and accelerate the commercialization process.
$500 million for the development of the Fusion Innovation Research Collaboration Organization (FIRE). This project plans to integrate scientific, innovative, and translational research through collaborative group studies with multiple public and private partners. This includes:
Structural and plasma facing materials
Blanket and fuel cycle
Enabling Technologies
Advanced simulation for design and optimization
Fusion energy is considered a safe, clean, and abundantly sourced technology, not only seen as a critical direction for future energy development but also becoming part of global geopolitical competition. This report outlines the FIA's latest strategic plan for U.S. fusion R&D and commercialization. The FIA also stated that regardless of whether the U.S. federal government invests in controlled nuclear fusion commercialization, its members plan to invest $7.6 billion in pilot project construction over the next five years.
Link to report content：https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qJbHzLRcawCQr3BXSZlLagvK9_TIDQo0/view
Source of content：https://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/funding-the-u-s-bold-decadal-vision-for-fusion-energy/
