Thea Energy lands $20M federal grant to build its magnets for fusion reactors
Fusion startup Thea Energy has secured a $20 million grant from the Department of Energy to advance its modular high-temperature superconducting magnet technology. The company aims to reduce the high manufacturing costs associated with stellarator-style fusion reactors by using standardized magnet templates.
Why it matters
Advancements in fusion manufacturing are critical for the long-term viability of clean energy, as current designs remain prohibitively expensive to build at scale.
For hard-tech startups, manufacturing is a pricey endeavor. Now, Thea Energy has a leg up courtesy of a Department of Energy grant.
The fusion power startup told TechCrunch Monday that it has received a $20 million award from ARPA-E to help manufacture its modular high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets.
HTS magnets are costly but important components in any magnetic confinement reactor, one of the two main ways startups are attempting to harness fusion power for commercial purposes. In magnetic confinement reactors, powerful magnetic fields contain and compress plasma, helping to heat the particles until the fuel can fuse and release large amounts of energy.
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