Zap Energy, a fusion company based in Everett, Washington, is working on a new device called Century, which aims to demonstrate major power plant-relevant technologies. The central stack of Century is roughly the size of a double-decker bus and will eventually produce 50 megawatts of electricity. The company completed construction of Century this summer, which includes various key technologies for making and capturing power necessary for fusion. Zap Energy has been focusing on its fusion reactor, FuZE-Q, which creates the conditions for fusion reactions to occur. While FuZE-Q is still being perfected, Century reveals how other crucial components perform so improvements can be made while work continues in parallel on the core reactor.
Zap Energy recently raised $130 million in funding in a Series D round, led by Soros Fund Management with participation from new investors such as BAM Elevate, Emerson Collective, Leitmotif, Mizuho Financial Group, Plynth Energy, and Xplor Ventures. Existing investors like Addition, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Chevron Technology Ventures, DCVC, Energy Impact Partners, Lowercarbon Capital, and Shell Ventures also participated. Conway, the CEO of Zap Energy, highlighted the importance of strategic investors like Mizuho and Plynth Energy, who spent time getting to know the company before making investments. The company has raised over $330 million from investors and has 150 employees. Zap Energy was also selected by the U.S. Department of Energy as one of eight recipients of funding from the Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program.
Zap Energy’s approach to creating fusion involves using a sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch technology, where electric currents are driven through a plasma filament to create conditions suitable for fusion reactions. The goal for Zap Energy and others in the fusion sector is to achieve “scientific breakeven,” where more power is produced from fusion than is required to create the reaction. Zap Energy’s Century device recently performed a test run of more than 1,000 consecutive plasmas in less than three hours, which was considered a significant achievement. However, adjustments need to be made to a component in the device before running the test again to meet a DOE target.
The fusion sector has attracted investments from major tech industry players like Chris Sacca’s Lowercarbon Capital, Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, and Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. Fusion technology could become a vital solution for meeting the increasing demand for electricity as the world shifts towards clean energy in response to expanding data center operations. Zap Energy aims to not only prove a science experiment but to deliver a commercial power plant that can provide clean energy to meet the growing electricity needs of the tech industry and beyond.
Zap Energy’s progress in developing fusion technology is seen as a significant step towards achieving commercially viable power production through fusion reactions. With the completion of its Century system showcasing key power plant technologies, the company is attracting strategic investors and actively working towards improving its fusion reactor performance. The company’s dedication to creating a successful fusion power plant and meeting energy demands in a sustainable way highlights the potential for fusion technology to revolutionize the clean energy industry and provide a reliable source of electricity for the future.
