Scheduled to be operational by mid-2026, UNITY-2 is intended to help understand the complexities of the fuel cycle system by simulating the entire D-T fuel sequence—from discharge to purification and resupply. The facility will also serve as a test platform for fusion industry members to demonstrate the performance of their components and technologies, helping advance the technology readiness level of these systems toward a commercial state.
R&D: General Atomics said it will leverage UNITY-2’s advanced infrastructure to further its research and development of its own fusion components while supporting the Canadian team in identifying the safest and most effective methods for handling, storing, and managing tritium. The work will also help lay the foundation for developing other critical fusion systems, such as a blanket component test facility to evaluate scaled prototypes of that technology, the company said.
According to General Atomics, the investment advances its commitments under Canada’s Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy, which requires the company to make investments and undertake business activities in Canada as part of the government’s contract to purchase a fleet of MQ-9B SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems.
Canada’s Federal Department for Innovation, Science, and Economic Development has formally endorsed the UNITY-2 partnership between FFC and General Atomics.
Quotables: “Our collaboration with FFC is a pivotal step toward realizing the full potential of fusion energy,” said Anantha Krishnan, senior vice president of the General Atomics Energy Group. “Developing a practical fusion power plant demands that all core systems—including the fuel cycle—operate in concert. This collaboration directly targets one of the toughest challenges and brings us closer to solving the puzzle of integrating a complete, functional fusion system.”
Yuhei Nozoe, co-CEO of FFC, added, “This investment by GA illustrates the value that UNITY-2 can bring to fusion technology companies: Only real-world testing in representative fusion conditions can truly de-risk fuel cycle components. Anyone serious about achieving commercial fusion in the next few decades recognizes the importance of having facilities like UNITY-2 to go beyond modeling and paper studies and determine actual performance.”
The FFC mission: Founded in 2024, FFC merges CNL’s tritium processing and handling capabilities with Kyoto Fusioneering’s fusion fuel cycle plant expertise and technology.
According to the company, breeding, capturing, extracting, and recycling the precious tritium required for fusion reactions to take place is the only way to achieve fusion’s promise of limitless clean energy. FFC said its mission is to close this technology gap for fusion developers and believes that the best way to achieve this mission is through the UNITY-2 system.
