In a recent development, Helion Energy, a fusion energy company based in Everett, has unveiled plans to construct the world’s first fusion power plant (PP) in Malaga, Washington. The company is currently engaged in the development of a 50-megawatt fusion PP on land owned by the Chelan Public Utility District (PUD) in the vicinity of Rock Island Dam, located on the Chelan County side of the Columbia River. This initiative was formally disclosed by Helion Communications Director Jessie Barton during a joint press conference at the Confluence Technology Center in Wenatchee. According to a Chelan PUD spokesperson, this project represents a pivotal element in a broader strategy to diversify energy sources, marking a substantial shift from the previous emphasis on hydroelectric energy. Helion has indicated that construction is scheduled to commence in the summer of 2025, to generate fusion energy by 2028.
The technology utilised by Helion is founded on a nuclear fusion process that employs a linear ‘Pulsed Fusion’ machine, wherein the compression cycles emulate those of a Diesel engine. The project has been made possible through a partnership with Microsoft, which Helion announced in May 2023 had entered into a commercial purchase agreement for the electricity generated by its fusion plant. Consequently, the development of this innovative technology will be supported by a substantial investment from Microsoft in January 2025.
