U.S. researchers and engineers are developing a compact 400 MW fusion power-plant concept known as ARC.

 

U.S. researchers and engineers are developing a compact fusion power-plant concept known as ARC.

Commonwealth Fusion Systems says ARC is designed to produce approximately 400 MW of net electricity continuously once operational. The design uses a compact tokamak and high-temperature superconducting magnets.

The company expects the first ARC plant in Virginia to begin generating electricity in the early 2030s. It would be designed as a grid-scale fusion facility capable of supplying firm electricity.

But the 400-MW number is a design target, not power currently being generated. The ARC plant has not yet been built or demonstrated.

Before that happens, researchers must demonstrate the necessary fusion performance, engineering systems, heat management, materials durability and reliable plant operation.

If those challenges are successfully solved, a compact fusion plant could provide large amounts of firm electricity without the direct carbon emissions associated with fossil-fuel combustion.

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