TAE Works with Japan NIFS for Fusion Fuel Research
TAE Technologies has formed a landmark partnership with Japan’s National Institute of Fusion Science (NIFS) that enables the two organizations to test the effects of hydrogen-boron (p-B11) fusion reactions in the NIFS Large Helical Device (LHD).
The results of this research have the potential to unlock a new milestone in TAE’s mission to develop commercial fusion power with p-B11, the cleanest and most affordable fuel for fusion cycles.
“Our partnership with NIFS is a significant opportunity to offer proof of concept for TAE’s preferred fuel cycle and accelerate commercialization of p-B11 fusion, which represents the cleanest, most elegant and abundant energy source on earth,” said Michl Binderbauer, CEO of TAE Technologies. “We expect this research to yield new insights that will help us further optimize our fusion platform for global adoption and long-term sustainability.”
“The collaborative relations between the US and Japan started with vigor when President Carter and Prime Minister Fukuda signed a treaty on US-Japan fusion collaboration in 1978,” said Toshiki Tajima, Chief Science Officer of TAE Technologies. “In particular, scientists from NIFS such as Momota visited the US to explore aneutronic fusion research in the 1980s. I believe our experimental collaboration with NIFS will quickly culminate in the world’s first p-B11 aneutronic fusion demonstration. This joint effort shows that the union of two complementary parties can yield an outcome greater than the sum of its parts – similar to the transformative properties of fusion energy itself.”
“The development and commercialization of grid-scale fusion energy is a priority in the face of climate change,” said Masaki Osakabe, Executive Director of the NIFS Large Helical Device Project. “We are excited to provide this opportunity to research the effects of advanced fuels for fusion with a leader in p-B11, and we look forward to sharing the results.”
TAE’s compact linear design uses an advanced beam-driven field-reversed configuration (FRC) that can accommodate all available fusion fuel cycles, including D-T and deuterium-helium-3 (D-He-3), a benefit that uniquely enables the company to license its technology on the way to its ultimate goal of connecting the first p-B11 fusion power plant to the grid by the end of this decade.
TAE is developing commercial fusion power plants using p-B11 because it is the most economical and environmentally friendly fuel cycle for fusion. P-B11 eliminates the need for breeding tritium, thus offering cleaner, safer operations while maximizing the durability and lifetime of the fusion plant.
The partnership between NIFS and TAE represents the first public-private fusion research using this advanced fuel.
TAE’s scientists will collaborate with a team run by Professor Zensho Yoshida, Director General of NIFS.
