First Light Fusion

Today we publish our response to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero's consultation on a new National Policy Statement for Fusion Energy. The new Labour Government must recognise the opportunity of fusion and act immediately to maintain the UK’s world-leading position in the field. We are calling for: ✅ Support for multiple fusion technologies: The NPS should ensure genuine Government support for both magnetic and inertial fusion technologies currently under active development in the UK. This approach will increase the likelihood of a successful breakthrough and reflect the rapid progress being made to date with inertial fusion. ✅ Clear siting guidelines for fusion plants: To avoid potential delays similar to those experienced with grid connections for other types of commercial power plant, the NPS must develop and publish clear guidelines for the siting of fusion plants. ✅ A coordinated cross-departmental approach: A coordinated and joined-up approach across both the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will be essential to progressing fusion research and development and commercialisation. ✅ An ambitious target date for commercial fusion: The Government’s proposals for a National Policy Statement for fusion in their current form do not commit to a specific deployment deadline for commercial fusion energy facilities. Establishing a target date for first commercial fusion in the UK by 2040 will catalyse investment, research and focus towards achieving this goal. This should be ambitious yet achievable to drive progress and demonstrate the UK’s ongoing commitment to leading in fusion energy. Read our full submission to the government consultation here: https://lnkd.in/eE9xaqz9

We're proud to be part of an industry that is constantly pushing the boundaries of scientific possibility. This great video from the Fusion Industry Association summarises all the incredible progress being made in the global race towards commercial fusion this year. Link below 👇

Thanks for brightening up our FLF offices Valerie!

Huge congratulations to Pacific Fusion - a US-based inertial fusion energy pioneer - on their $900+ million Series A fundraise! Fantastic to see the US pursuing all types of fusion. Read the founders' open letter below: https://lnkd.in/eng6JKFT

At First Light Fusion, collaboration is at the heart of everything we do. That’s why we are proud to be funding the AMPLIFI Prosperity Partnership - a five-year long research initiative, jointly funded by UKRI, EPSRC and First Light Fusion. Last week, we had a fantastic time hosting the Partnership's first annual gathering at First Light headquarters in Oxford. This was a great chance to share capabilities and research plans across the partnership network, sowing the seed for future opportunities for collaboration. We also hosted the first meeting of the Scientific Advisory Board – a collection of leading experts in the fields of high-energy density physics and fusion who will provide invaluable direction and feedback to the partnership. It was inspiring to see so many bright minds come together to ignite new ideas! #fusion #thefutureisfusion #prosperitypartnership University of Oxford University of York Mach42 Imperial College London

We had a fantastic time at New Scientist Live 2024! 14 members of the First Light team were in London last weekend, showcasing our work to over 50, 000 attendees at the annual conference. The lineup of talks, shows, and exhibits covered everything from science in history to conservation, agriculture, space, and of course, fusion. We loved sharing the excitement about fusion with the next generation and came away feeling inspired by all the enthusiasm in the room. Thank you to everyone who stopped by our stall! #NewScientistLive #FusionEnergy #TheFutureisFusion Mohamed Ben Sasi Francisco Suzuki-Vidal

We're at FusionXInvest Japan! Fantastic to be in the room with hundreds of industry leaders, investors and government representatives, all working together to push fusion forward. #fusionxinvest #fusion #thefutureisfusion Ryan Ramsey David Bryon FusionX Group

At First Light Fusion, our work spans not only inertial fusion, but also many other areas of high-energy density physics research too. As part of our ongoing programme of cross-country collaboration, we recently worked with scientists from Princeton University, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, UC San Diego, UCLA, Imperial College London and the Laboratory for Laser Energetics on a groundbreaking piece of work using laser to explore new frontiers in high-energy-density plasma. Read all about it here: https://lnkd.in/gBgMNNFp

Delighted to have featured in Tech Nation's 'Future 50' top UK Tech Companies to Watch list today! It's great to be recognised as one of the UK tech companies to watch right now, alongside innovative companies covering everything from AI to FinTech, ClimateTech and more. Download the full report here: https://lnkd.in/e4tEkpYD #FutureFifty #thefutureisfusion

Great to feature in this piece in El País on the rapid progress being made around the world in pursuit of commercial fusion. Catch our CSO Nicholas Hawker explaining how our unique amplifier technology could hold the secret to developing an affordable, scalable source of commercial fusion here: https://lnkd.in/e-F6BNZz #fusoin #thefutureisfusion