Commonwealth Fusion Systems path to commercialization

Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) is pursuing the high-field path to climate-relevant fusion energy through the SPARC and ARC tokamaks as well as a set of dedicated R&D programs. Leveraging the scientific understanding of tokamaks, and recent breakthroughs in high-temperature superconductors CFS is aiming to commercialize fusion energy in the early 2030s by focusing on simplified systems that can be delivered quickly without large extrapolations in plasma physics performance. CFS achieved its first major technical milestone in collaboration with MIT in summer 2021 with the SPARC Toroidal Field Model Coil project, demonstrating the first magnetic fusion scale high-field, high-temperature superconducting magnet. Started in parallel, construction of the SPARC tokamak in Devens, MA is now well underway. This is to begin operations in 2025 and demonstrate net fusion energy shortly thereafter and be capable of achieving routine high gain high-power DT discharges. This machine will close many of the remaining plasma physics gaps on the path to a simplified pulsed tokamak power plant. In parallel, CFS is undertaking component level R&D on major ARC subsystems and preparing the design for an ARC pilot plant it intends to construct. CFS has raised over $2B in private funding and assembled a team of over 300 employees to achieve its goals. While CFS has been working since its inception with the national labs and universities there is a tremendous amount more the governmens can do to support the commercializing of fusion energy. CFS strongly supports expanding INFUSE, the establishment of a milestone-based pilot plant program, the construction of needed test facilities, a redirection of the base program in line with FESAC, NAS, Congressional and Administration policy goals, all towards nurturing a bourgeoning diverse fusion industrial enterprise with relevance to climate change mitigation.