Fusion startup Helion has been awarded $175 million in federal funding to research, develop, and manufacture advanced semiconductors and power electronics for its fusion power plants, the company announced on Thursday. Currently, these devices lose about 5% to 10% of the electricity that flows through them. While these losses may seem small, they can compound in a complex system like Helion’s.
“"If we can cut that loss in half, that’s actually twice the power output of the fusion system," said David Kirtley, co-founder and CEO at Helion.
Funding and Production Plans
Helion is racing to complete its first power plant, Orion, by 2028 to provide Microsoft with electricity from the grid. The funding will help Helion build automated semiconductor module, packaging, and testing capacity to supply the fusion machine currently under construction. The new production line, to be established in Washington State, will be the first in the U.S. to manufacture a class of semiconductor used not only in fusion power but also in manufacturing, wastewater treatment, medicine, and defense.
“"There are no U.S. manufacturers right now that do it," Kirtley stated. "This is absolutely enabling going from zero to 100 for advanced, high-voltage and pulsed semiconductors here in the United States."
The three-year award was made by the Department of Commerce under the CHIPS Act, a Biden-era law aimed at bolstering semiconductor module research, development, and manufacturing in the U.S. Alongside the federal funding, Helion also announced a fresh $50 million private investment, although the investor was not disclosed.
