CFS gets $85 million to build chips for fusion reactors

Commonwealth Fusion Systems announced on Thursday that it will receive $85 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The funding is part of a CHIPS Act award designed to boost semiconductor production. In exchange for the money, the federal government will take an ownership stake in the company.

The grant targets specific hardware gaps in the fusion energy sector. Fusion startups are currently working to complete their first demonstration machines. CFS plans to activate its Sparc reactor sometime next year. A single working reactor serves as a proof of concept, but commercial fusion plants require more durable power electronics and a reliable supply chain.

The $85 million will support five distinct projects. The first involves improving silicon carbide power electronics. These semiconductors manage high voltages and are already used in electric vehicles, data centers, and cell phone base stations. In fusion machines, they help drive the intense electrical bursts that power superconducting magnets. Those magnets confine plasma inside the reactor.

The second project focuses on next-generation radio-frequency power generators. CFS uses these devices to heat fusion fuel. The third initiative targets advanced electronics that allow for faster reactor control. These components are also hardened to withstand radiation. CFS stated that radiation-resistant parts could extend the lifespan of equipment inside a power plant, which would lower operating costs.

The final two efforts involve adapting AI hardware for power plant use. This includes modifying GPUs and TPUs. These chips currently drive artificial intelligence models but will be repurposed for industrial control systems in fusion facilities.

Brandon Sorbom, co-founder and chief science officer at CFS, explained the strategic value of the award in a blog post. He wrote that the funding supports a more capable and economical power plant. He added that it strengthens the U.S. supply chain needed to build these facilities.

Sorbom noted that the investment serves a dual purpose. It improves the domestic chip and power electronics industries while simultaneously accelerating the progress of fusion energy toward the electrical grid. The company said the funding will expand manufacturing capacity and research and development efforts in the United States.