Google signs fusion energy deal with MIT spinoff Commonwealth Fusion Systems
The technology firm struck the deal with Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), a company founded in 2018 as a spinoff from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The agreement secures 200 megawatts of electricity from CFS's ARC fusion energy project, which is under development in Virginia, a state that hosts the world's largest concentration of power-intensive data centres.
While Google and CFS did not disclose the financial terms, the planned output from ARC would be enough to supply a small city.
Fusion power, the same process that fuels the sun, involves forcing light atoms together to release vast amounts of energy. Scientists have pursued fusion for decades, using either lasers or magnets to trigger these reactions. CFS employs a magnetic confinement method.
Although the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California briefly achieved net energy gain in a laser-driven fusion experiment in 2022, the goal of engineering break-even — where more energy is produced than is consumed in running a plant — remains out of reach. To become a viable power source, fusion reactions must occur continuously, rather than as rare events.
Michael Terrell, Google's head of advanced energy, said in a press briefing: 'Yes, there are some serious physics and engineering challenges that we still have to work through to make it commercially viable and scalable. But that's something that we want to be investing in now to realise that future.'
CFS plans to bring the ARC project online in the early 2030s but must first overcome significant scientific and technical challenges. CEO and co-founder Bob Mumgaard told reporters that building ARC will help the company understand the early operational hurdles of fusion energy. 'Without partnership and without being bold and setting a goal and going for it, you won't ever reach over those challenges,' he said.
Mumgaard added that ARC will teach the company how frequently fusion machines might break down and how to make them run reliably in real-world conditions.
Fusion power has drawn renewed interest as artificial intelligence and data centres drive up electricity demand. Unlike nuclear fission, which splits atoms and produces long-lasting radioactive waste, fusion generates minimal radioactive byproducts and could help reduce carbon emissions if commercialised.
Alongside the power purchase agreement, Google confirmed it would expand its investment in CFS. The company previously took part in a $1.8 billion funding round for CFS in 2021. Mumgaard said the latest investment was 'comparable' in scale.
As companies seek cleaner and more abundant energy sources, Google's deal marks a significant step in bringing fusion closer to commercial use.
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