The key facts

  • CFS receives $85 million under the CHIPS Act from the US Department of Commerce; the government receives an equity stake in the company
  • The funds are directed toward five initiatives: silicon carbide, RF generators, radiation-hardened electronics, AI hardware
  • CFS plans to launch its Sparc reactor next year

$85 million grant for chips for fusion energy

Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) announced on Thursday that it will receive $85 million from the US government to develop advanced chips for fusion energy. The award under the CHIPS Act from the Department of Commerce also provides for the government receiving an equity stake in the company. According to the company, the funds will help expand semiconductor R&D and manufacturing capacity in the US.

Context: from demonstration to commercial power plants

Fusion startups are competing to build the first demonstration devices: CFS plans to launch its Sparc reactor next year. However, as TechCrunch notes, building a single reactor is only a proof of concept: building dozens of commercial power plants will require more durable power electronic components and a reliable supply chain.

Five areas for use of the funds

The funds will support five initiatives. The first is the development of silicon carbide power electronics: such semiconductors are widely used to manage high voltage — from LEDs and electric vehicles to cellular base stations and data centers, as well as in fusion devices, where powerful pulses of electricity power the superconducting magnets that hold plasma in the reactor.

The remaining areas

CFS is also developing next-generation radio-frequency generators used to heat fusion fuel, and advanced electronics for faster reactor control that is resistant to radiation — this could extend the lifespan of electronics at the power plant and reduce operating costs. In addition, part of the funds will go toward adapting AI hardware, such as GPUs and TPUs, for power plants.

Quotes

CFS co-founder and chief science officer Brandon Sorbom wrote in the company's blog: 'Ultimately this means a more powerful and economical power plant and a stronger American supply chain for building it.' According to him, the funding 'will help improve the American chip and power electronics industry while accelerating the advancement of fusion energy to the grid.'