A. Holland
Fusion Industry Association,
United States
Keywords: fusion energy, supply chain
Summary:
Scientists, governments, and industry are becoming convinced that fusion energy is poised to move from the lab to the marketplace. The member companies of the private fusion energy industry, represented by the Fusion Industry Association (FIA), are leading this move. The industry’s plans in the next decade are first to build the “proof-of-concept” experiments and then to scale up to demonstration pilot plants. In the long term, industry will rely on mass manufacturing to produce fusion machines cost-effectively at scale; deployed rapidly into grid connections around the world. But, transitioning from scientific experiments and demonstration machines into a major global infrastructure industry requires planning and foresight. Furthermore, the technological diversity of fusion approaches means that this process must be managed in multiple different technological approaches at the same time. The companies commercializing any fusion technology will need a breadth of highly specialized and precision manufactured components, whether high-powered magnets or lasers, power electronics and semiconductors, ultra-efficient heat management technologies, or materials that can withstand the extreme conditions in a fusion vessel. And, they will need the fuel that powers the reaction. Fusion companies will also need a skilled workforce to create and assemble these parts – which will mean a greater demand for specialist engineering suppliers and recruitment into the industry. Needs will increase across all job titles, but industry should see a gradual shift in proportionate needs from scientists to engineers and operators. Ultimately, they could also need large Engineering, Procurement and Construction Firms to understand how to build their technologies into functioning power plants. In short, a primary challenge facing the companies commercializing fusion technology is building a supply chain. That is why, in 2024, the Fusion Industry Association surveyed its members and affiliate members to determine what the current state of the fusion supply chain is, the opportunities the growing supply chain presents for firms, and what the challenges to scaling are. This presentation will detail that report.