Pacific Fusion launches call for Expressions of Interest for its Users Program

Today, we are excited to announce the launch of the Pacific Fusion Users Program (PFUP) — a new initiative that will make our flagship fusion system available for selective use by external users.  

Our system — called the Demonstration System — is designed to achieve net facility gain, producing more fusion energy than the total energy stored in the system, by 2030. It will be the only pulsed-power inertial fusion facility of this scale in the world and, starting in 2028, the DS will be capable of creating some of the most intense bursts of energy produced on Earth. This includes plasma conditions and high-neutron and photon flux that create unique opportunities for a range of fusion energy research, commercial applications, fundamental high-energy-density (HED) science, and national security.

We are now making the DS available for external use, dedicating experimental time on its flexible architecture, which features 17 configurable target-area diagnostics for high-fidelity data capture and is purpose-built for high-yield experimentation. Our objective is to enable new kinds of partnerships that support a range of frontier research applications: 

• In fusion energy science, the DS could support ignition-scale physics experiments, target validation, diagnostics development, and materials testing under extreme conditions.
• In commercial applications, high-flux radiation environments can help test how components will hold up in outer space over time, radiation tolerance, and evaluation of materials exposed to high-energy debris and thermal loads, medical isotope production, and other applications of pulsed power technology.
• In fundamental HED science, access to intense neutron and X-ray sources can reveal new behaviors, shorten qualification cycles, and open new engineering frontiers.
• We also expect collaboration with the U.S. government on applications relevant to national security.

The PFUP will begin by accepting Expressions of Interest from researchers in private industry, academia, and government – a process that will help us understand user needs, experimental concepts, and technical requirements. 

• Over the coming months, we will engage with prospective partners to refine ideas and assess feasibility.
• That engagement will ultimately inform a Call for Proposals aligned with the commissioning timeline of the DS.
• The DS will be operational by the end of the decade and we expect to dedicate a portion of facility time to external experiments when this happens.

We hope that by engaging now, our partners can help inform aspects of experimental capability, diagnostics, and facility design, while creating a foundation for long-term collaboration.

The PFUP also reflects the value we place on research and broader collaboration. The scientific foundations of fusion and HED science were established over decades of national laboratory research. Our aim is to extend that legacy by building a facility that not only advances our commercial mission, but also helps shape this field of science’s next chapter. 

Interested in learning more? users.pacificfusion.com or watch our initial EOI webinar below.