Lisa Stiffler of Geek Wire reports on Zap Energy, a Seattle-area startup, that has made an important breakthrough in fusion energy.
- While fusion offers the promise of limitless carbon-free power, it takes more energy to operate a fusion reactor than what the reactor actually produces.
- Zap’s breakthrough brings fusion closer to a breakeven point–where more energy is produced from a reactor than what is needed to operate it.
- Zap’s funding came primarily from Breakthrough Energy Ventures and two petroleum giants.
“The company estimates that it needs to produce 650 kA (kiloampere) of current to get there. At this point they’ve reached 500 kA, which represents significant progress. When the team got its start at the University of Washington, they were producing about 50 kA (a bolt of lightning, by comparison, is about 30 kA).”
Read the full article here.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.
