World's 1st fusion factory in Livermore aims to be clean energy source for commercial use
The company is developing technology aimed in helping meet future energy demands with a cleaner energy source.
LIVERMORE, Calif. (KGO) -- Fusion energy moved from theory to reality at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and now Livermore-based Inertia is working to scale the technology for commercial use.
The company, which calls its facility the "House of Fusion," says it is developing technology aimed at bringing fusion energy to the power grid and helping meet future energy demands with a cleaner energy source.
"Fusion energy is the holy grail of energy. It's clean, abundant, cheap, it doesn't create long lived radioactive waste and it's high baseload. So, you can operate it when the sun is shining, when the wind is blowing. So, it's a critical part of our future energy needs for this country and for the world," Co-founder and Chief Scientist Dr. Annie Kritcher said during a tour of the facility.
Inertia describes it as "star power for life."
The team says its goal is to make energy cheaper, better and cleaner through fusion power, building on work developed nearby at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
To move the technology from the laboratory to commercial power production, the company plans to develop what it describes as the world's most powerful laser and convert its current facility into what it says will be the first fusion fuel factory.
The facility would manufacture fusion fuel targets, which the company says are more powerful than two Falcon rockets.
"Over the next few months, this calendar year, we will develop those processes. And about this time next year, we'll convert this whole facility to an end to end production line for these fuel capsules," CTO Mike Dunne said.
The company says the technology must be capable of operating continuously to generate a steady stream of electricity.
"So we can do it ten times a second all day, every day, to create a continuous stream of energy that can power mankind's need," Co-founder and CEO Jeff Lawson said.
Among those touring the campus on Friday was U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, who has long supported fusion energy research and development.
Lofgren said addressing climate change requires new energy solutions and expressed optimism about Inertia's plans.
"I am so excited to be here today because listening to the plan, it's pragmatic and it makes me very, very hopeful. I can hardly wait to come back when it's firing on all cylinders," Lofgren said.
The company hopes to break ground on a gigawatt-scale power plant by 2030 and begin producing fusion power five years later, according to Inertia representatives.
