- Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) will independently finance, build, own, and operate the grid-scale fusion power plant in Chesterfield County, Virginia, USA.
- It will be the first commercial venture in the world using the technology.
CFS, the largest private fusion company, has announced that it will build the world’s first grid-scale commercial fusion power plant at the James River Industrial Park in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Up until now, fusion technology has been developed by governments in the USA, UK, EU, South Korea, Russia, Japan, Brazil, Canada and China.
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As part of this effort, CFS has reached an agreement with Dominion Energy Virginia to provide non-financial collaboration, including development and technical expertise as well as leasing rights for the proposed site. Dominion Energy Virginia currently owns the proposed site.
CFS conducted a global search for the site of its first commercial fusion power plant, known as ARC, which the company will independently finance, build, own, and operate.
The new ARC fusion power plant will support economic development and the clean energy goals of Virginia. The project is expected to generate billions of dollars in economic development in the region and create hundreds of jobs during the construction and long-term operation of the power plant. ARC will generate about 400 megawatts of electricity — enough energy to power large industrial sites or about 150,000 homes.
CFS is currently completing development of its fusion demonstration machine, SPARC, at its headquarters in Devens, Massachusetts. SPARC is expected to produce its first plasma in 2026 and net fusion energy shortly after, demonstrating for the first time a commercially relevant design that will produce more power than consumed. SPARC paves the way for ARC, which is expected to deliver power to the grid in the early 2030s.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
