Bezos Invested Fusion Company Opens First Plant in UK

Photo by General Fusion

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] General Fusion, a Canadian nuclear fusion company invested in by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, will build its first power plant in the United Kingdom.

According to the UK BBC, General Fusion plans to construct an experimental nuclear fusion power plant at the Culham Fusion Energy Centre located on the outskirts of London, in cooperation with the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).

Approximately $400 million will be invested in the facility, with construction starting next year aiming for operation in 2024.

Christopher Mowry, CEO of General Fusion, said, "Through collaboration with Culham, we have gained an opportunity to expand our market presence and global network from North America to Europe."

The Culham Fusion Energy Centre is a national institution under UKAEA, which oversees the UK's nuclear energy research and development programs, conducting research on nuclear fusion theory, experiments, safety, and environmental impact.

The UK has set a goal to build commercial nuclear fusion power plants by 2040, allocating approximately $17 billion in budget for this sector.

Amanda Solloway, UK Secretary of State for Science, said, "General Fusion's new plant is expected to greatly contribute to the development of the UK's nuclear fusion industry," adding, "We are very pleased that Culham will become the headquarters of General Fusion's advanced technology."

General Fusion, which has received support from Bezos for over 10 years, recently succeeded in raising $100 million. Regarding the scale of funding through cooperation with the UK government, they described it as "a very meaningful level" but did not disclose specific details.

Nuclear fusion power, called the "artificial sun" because it operates on the same principle as the sun's energy generation, is considered the ultimate infinite energy that can rescue humanity from energy shortages.

At ultra-high temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees, hydrogen nuclei fuse to form heavier helium nuclei, releasing tremendous energy that can be used for power generation.

Although it has attracted attention with investments from Silicon Valley billionaires such as Bezos, Bill Gates, Microsoft (MS) founder, and Peter Thiel, PayPal founder, astronomical investments are required for research and development, and under current trends, it is expected to take several decades to build commercial power plants.