Commerce Hands CFS $85 Million to Build Radiation-Tough Reactor Chips
The federal award funds five specific engineering projects, including silicon carbide upgrades and AI hardware adaptation, as the company prepares to ignite its Sparc reactor next year.
By Michael Lombardi ·
Commonwealth Fusion Systems announced on Thursday that it will receive $85 million from the U.S. government to develop advanced semiconductors for the fusion power industry. The funds come from a CHIPS Act award issued by the Department of Commerce. The agreement also grants the government a stake in the company.
The money supports five distinct engineering initiatives. The first involves advancing silicon carbide power electronics. These semiconductors manage high voltages and are used in products ranging from electric vehicles to data centers. In fusion machines, they handle the intense electrical bursts that drive the superconducting magnets used to confine plasma.
A second initiative targets next-generation radio-frequency power generators. CFS uses this technology to heat fusion fuel. The company also plans to develop advanced electronics that allow for faster reactor control. These components are hardened against radiation to extend their lifespan inside a fusion power plant, which the company says will reduce operating costs.
The final two initiatives focus on adapting AI hardware for power plants. This includes modifying GPUs and TPUs for use in fusion facilities. The company stated that the funding will strengthen research and development while expanding manufacturing capacity for chips in the United States.
The award arrives as fusion startups race to complete their first demonstration machines. CFS aims to switch on its Sparc reactor sometime next year. A single reactor serves mainly as a proof point, but companies planning to build dozens of commercial plants require durable power electronics and a dependable supply chain.
Brandon Sorbom, co-founder and chief science officer at CFS, wrote in a blog post that the work leads to a more capable and economical power plant. "The funding would help improve the U.S. chip and power electronics industries at the same time it accelerates fusion energy's progress toward the electrical grid," Sorbom said.
The government investment aligns with the company's goal to secure a domestic supply of critical components. By focusing on radiation-hardened electronics and specialized power generators, CFS aims to lower the cost of building and operating future fusion plants.
Source: TechCrunch
