US-based Longview Fusion Energy Systems and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have entered into a Cooperative Research & Development Agreement (CRADA) to develop a comprehensive performance and economic model tailored to optimise the Longview fusion power plant designs.
Building upon the repeated demonstrations of fusion energy gain at LLNL’s National Ignition Facility (NIF), Longview and Livermore will combine their laser fusion science and technology expertise. The partnership establishes critical requirements for Longview’s power plant’s fusion technology systems and facilities and develops a Technology Roadmap to mature these systems.
The collaboration complements a broader set of US Department of Energy (DOE) programmes involving Longview and Livermore, including the LLNL-led IFE-STARFIRE Hub, designed to expand the US workforce in this area and accelerate the delivery of laser fusion energy consistent with the US Bold Decadal Vision for commercialising fusion energy.
“The game-changing demonstrations of fusion energy gain at the NIF have provided the fundamental physics proof needed for Longview to move forward with commercialisation of fusion power, said Dr Edward Moses, Longview’s founder & CEO and former director of the NIF. This is why we are here, and why we are partnering with Fluor, a global engineering firm, to design the world’s first laser fusion power plant.”
Valerie Roberts, Longview’s Chief Business Officer and industry executive said the partnership with LLNL “puts us in a unique position to turn fusion’s bold promise into a transformative reality”. She added: “Unlike any other player in the fusion race, Longview is born from NIF’s historic success. We’re not just talking about advancing clean energy – we’re on the brink of creating it at a scale that could redefine global power systems. This is the kind of innovation that could change the way we think about energy and our planet’s future.”
Researched and written by Judith Perera
