Pacific Fusion, a 2022 spinout from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), has commenced construction on a new 33,000-square-foot research and development facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The groundbreaking coincides with the announcement of a new Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). This agreement will facilitate collaboration with both Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories. The new facility is located at the Max Q development site on Kirtland Air Force Base, placing the company in close proximity to its federal research partners and leveraging the region's existing scientific infrastructure. Source: Pacific Fusion

The company is pursuing a magnetized target fusion (MTF) approach, a hybrid concept that uses magnetic fields to confine a plasma which is then rapidly compressed to fusion conditions. This method combines principles from both magnetic confinement fusion (MCF) and inertial confinement fusion (ICF). Pacific Fusion asserts that its specific MTF architecture, developed from foundational research at AFRL, offers a more capital-efficient and faster path to a commercially viable prototype compared to large-scale tokamak or stellarator designs. The CRADA is intended to accelerate the validation and optimization of this concept through advanced modeling and experimental support. Source: Pacific Fusion

This method combines principles from both magnetic confinement fusion (MCF) and inertial confinement fusion (ICF).

Under the CRADA, Pacific Fusion will gain access to the extensive high-performance computing resources and diagnostic capabilities of the two national laboratories. Researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia will collaborate on simulations and experiments aimed at refining the plasma physics and engineering of the company's device. This public-private partnership model allows the startup to de-risk critical technical challenges without the immediate need for building out certain expensive, specialized capabilities in-house. The collaboration focuses on achieving the company's stated goal of developing a prototype system that can produce more energy than it consumes. Source: Pacific Fusion

Pacific Fusion has set an aggressive timeline, aiming for a fusion energy breakthrough by 2030. The new Albuquerque facility will house the company's next-generation experimental device designed to test and prove the viability of its MTF system at increasing scale. The development is part of a growing fusion ecosystem in the region, supported by federal labs and a skilled workforce. The partnership with the NNSA, which oversees the nation's nuclear security enterprise, underscores the dual-use potential of fusion-related technologies and the federal government's increasing engagement with the private fusion sector through programs like the Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program. Source: Pacific Fusion