Clean energy revolution charges up with new fusion facility at Devens

DEVENS — Massachusetts has a history of being at the forefront of revolutions.

The first shot in the American Revolution was fired in Concord, and the Industrial Revolution was fueled by the mill towns and cities along the Merrimack River — both of which, Democratic U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan pointed out, took place in the state’s third district, which she represents.

Now, Trahan’s district can add a third revolution to the list — leading the charge in the clean energy revolution with the ribbon cutting for Commonwealth Fusion Systems' new commercial fusion campus Friday in Devens, attended by U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm.

This facility represents a pivotal step toward achieving full commercialization for fusion energy, housing SPARC, a device that uses high-temperature superconducting magnets to produce fusion and become a model for fusion power plants.

Along with Trahan and Granholm were other elected officials and policy leaders, including U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll.

Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper and state Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao also attended the ribbon cutting.

'Starting point' for fusion power

"It’s a starting point," said Dennis Whyte, a co-founder of CFS and director of the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center. "What we’re really after is having fusion produce massive amounts of clean safe energy and we’re still in the race towards that."

Fusion power, discovered in 1934, is the generation of electricity using the heat of nuclear fusion reactions. A way to harness this process in a such a way to be economically viable has been a goal of scientists for decades. CFS’ magnet technology is the furthest along in terms of commercial fusion energy, said Granholm.

"The universe showed us fusion," said Bob Mumgaard, CEO of CFS, "it’s the thing that powered all the stars, it built all the atoms and everything around us. When you look at the night sky, you see fusion power plants."

Energy is often seen as having to consume a resource to be generated, such as gas or coal, Mumgaard explained, but he rejects that view in favor of a human resource — people building advanced technologies to provide energy.

The implications of this for energy security are not lost on Granholm. "To be able to have homegrown clean energy is huge for our nation so we’re not relying on energy coming from countries whose values we may not share," she said, "to be able to build it here, stamp it 'made in America,' use it here, export it around the world."

Operation slated for 2025

While SPARC, expected to be completed and operational by 2025, is not in itself a power plant, it is a prerequisite, to demonstrate a fusion process that generates more energy than it consumes.

"It's about showing fusion power at a commercial scale with a technology that can be scaled to commercial relevance," said Whyte, "it's when you’ve seen the Wright flyer fly."

Upon completion, the SPARC facility will run for about 10 years to serve as a model and test case of both the physics and commercial viability, while other buildings on the site are constructed, including the manufacturing hub that will allow for the creation of the necessary infrastructure to convert fusion energy into electricity.

All of this will be in preparation for ARC, the world's first fusion power plant.

"Devens will be the home of an entire new industry," said Mumgaard, who envisions taking fusion from the academic whiteboard to powerplant floor in the near future. "We want to do it on a timeline that really matters, like other transitions, engines, airplanes, biotech, computers.

"These were all ideas first, then research and eventually products. We want to do that with fusion — because we're going to need it," Mumgaard added, citing the climate crisis threat and the necessity of clean energy and limiting carbon emissions.

Trahan, who in Congress continues to champion federal investment into fusion research and development, including authoring a provision for it in the Clean Energy Act.

"The work being done here to get us closer to unlocking low cost, carbon free energy is groundbreaking and CFS is doing it in record time," said Trahan, who in Congress championed federal investment into fusion research and development, including authoring a provision for it in the Clean Energy Act.

SPARC will be the latest in the state's long line of technological milestones, said Granholm.

"Massachusetts is where the first telephone call was made, where the first typewriter was invented, where the industry standards for the internet happened, where the chocolate chip cookie was invented," she said. "Been on the cutting edge of so much, but this effort for the world, will be the most momentous of all."

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Energy fusion facility launched in Devens with 2025 completion date