The Wisconsin HTS Axisymmetric Mirror (WHAM) prototype plasma fusion device being used in experiments by Realta Fusion and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. (Photo: Realta Fusion)
Realta Fusion and Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) are collaborating to bring fusion power to Wisconsin. As reported by Wisconsin Public Radio and other news outlets, as well as MGE, the Madison-headquartered startup company and utility are exploring the development, siting, permitting, and financing of a 200-MWe-minimum fusion facility that would be capable of generating enough electricity for approximately 150,000 homes.
“Fusion’s time is coming”: Realta CEO Kieran Furlong is quoted as saying that the company hopes to commercialize its fusion technology by the early 2030s and to get a fusion power plant built in Wisconsin by the mid-2030s.
The company’s timeline for connecting an operating facility to the grid remains uncertain. However, Furlong says that Realta is beginning to lay the groundwork for the fusion power plant now “in parallel with our continued technology development” and that the company’s “agreement with MGE to explore the opportunity to build out a fusion power plant is a clear signal that fusion’s time is coming.”
Investment, equipment, and services: Helping Realta along its fusion commercialization path, MGE has made a “meaningful” direct equity investment (in the words of Furlong) and has become a shareholder in the company.
MGE will also provide engineering and technical services and equipment for Realta’s planned research and development center and headquarters, to be located at the former Oscar Meyer site in Madison, known as OM Station. In July, the company announced a commitment from the Wisconsin and Madison governments to invest as much as $55 million to develop the corporate headquarters and fusion research facility, which is to be called the Realta Forge.
MGE Chairman, President, and CEO Jeff Keebler noted that the utility has “long believed that achieving a net-zero carbon future requires innovation, partnerships, and a willingness to explore emerging technologies.” He added that the collaboration with Realta “reflects our commitment to exploring emerging technologies that have the potential to deliver reliable, around-the-clock carbon-free energy for our customers and communities.”
Technology development: Realta has been developing a fusion energy system based on the concept of the tandem axisymmetric magnetic mirror, which confines plasma between two high-field superconducting magnets. The company has been working with the University of Wisconsin–Madison on experiments with this magnetic mirror technology, using a prototype plasma fusion device referred to as the Wisconsin HTS Axisymmetric Mirror (WHAM). The company’s ion and electron radio-frequency heating and high-energy neutral particle injection technology are applied to optimize the plasma’s performance.
Realta is one of eight companies that were selected for the Department of Energy’s Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program. DOE support is being provided to Realta for the “whole-device modeling of simple mirror equilibria to enable scientific energy gains of at least 5 for the tandem-mirror approach to fusion energy.”
