[Reading Science] Iron Man's Heart, Becoming Reality?

Private Sector Joins Fusion Commercialization in Full Swing
Domestic First Fusion-Related Company Enable Fusion Begins Active Operations
Fusion Power Nears Private Sector Deployment in US, UK, Japan

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT and the President of KAIST recently attended the opening ceremony of the research and development (R&D) center of a domestic startup. Former POSCO Chairman Kwon Oh-joon was also present. It is rare for a high-ranking government official responsible for the science sector and the president of KAIST, representing the scientific community, to attend an event of a company that has yet to generate any sales.

What kind of company attracted their attention? The protagonist is Inable Fusion, Korea's first nuclear fusion startup. The interest is not only in the company Inable Fusion but also in nuclear fusion itself. In an era of artificial intelligence (AI), as the commercialization of nuclear fusion power rapidly approaches and international competition intensifies, there is growing anticipation for the formation of a new ecosystem led by the private sector rather than the government.

Nuclear fusion and nuclear fission both produce energy, but their principles are entirely different. While nuclear fission converts mass into energy during the splitting of uranium atoms, nuclear fusion uses the principle that the reduced mass during the fusion of atomic nuclei is converted into energy. Nuclear fusion can be simply understood as artificially creating the sun. The sun emits light by itself. The light and thermal energy of the sun are produced by nuclear fusion occurring at its core. This is why the ‘Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR)’ device developed by the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy is called an artificial sun.

To create nuclear fusion reactions on Earth, an ultra-high temperature environment similar to the sun must be artificially created. KSTAR generates fusion energy through the fusion of deuterium and tritium. Additionally, to induce nuclear fusion reactions on Earth, a plasma state at ultra-high temperatures like the sun is also necessary.

It is truly a harsh condition. It is almost doubtful whether it is feasible. The temperature at the sun’s core is about 15 million degrees Celsius, but to create nuclear fusion on Earth, a temperature exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius is required. A fusion reactor capable of withstanding such high temperatures must also be developed.

KSTAR operated by the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy

Lee Chang-yoon, the 1st Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, even said in his congratulatory speech at the Inable Fusion R&D center opening, "I once wondered if it would be possible to generate profits through nuclear fusion."

Just as the ‘New Space’ era has opened with private space companies leading space development rather than government agencies, the nuclear fusion research field is also booming with increasing private sector participation. Vice Minister Lee said, "The government is also looking for ways to help revitalize the (nuclear fusion) ecosystem through private sector participation." With private sector involvement alongside the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, the government can now actively explore measures for the commercialization of nuclear fusion.

Not only advanced country governments but also figures related to big tech (large information technology companies) are investing in nuclear fusion. The competition among countries to secure environmentally friendly ‘dream energy’ without pollutants is fierce. Advanced governments such as those of the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Peter Thiel, have made early investments in nuclear fusion.

Korea is also accelerating research by installing KSTAR at the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy and has played a key role in constructing the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).

Kyungsoo Lee, Founder of Enable Fusion

The responsibility for nuclear fusion research, which was once held by the state, is now shifting to the private sector. Private sector participation is premised on commercialization. With private sector involvement, the timeline for nuclear fusion commercialization is also being accelerated. A representative from the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy said, "We actively welcome the emergence of the first private nuclear fusion startup because it means the entire ecosystem will expand."

Inable Fusion, Korea’s first nuclear fusion startup, was founded by CEO Lee Kyung-soo (former director of the Fusion Research Institute and former head of the Science and Technology Innovation Bureau at the Ministry of Science and ICT) and Choi Doo-hwan, former CEO of POSCO ICT and former director of KT’s General Technology Institute. It is a nuclear fusion technology startup.

CEO Lee said, "Nuclear fusion commercialization cannot be achieved through government-led research alone. We will combine Korea’s world-class manufacturing capabilities to serve as a ‘foundry’ for nuclear fusion." He aims to supply nuclear fusion-related parts and systems made with Korean technology overseas and eventually engage directly in nuclear fusion power generation. According to CEO Lee, Inable Fusion has already secured initial investment funds for research, and Japanese trading company Mitsui has also expressed investment intentions.

CEO Lee predicted, "Why would Sam Altman invest in nuclear fusion energy? Because he recognizes the advent of an era of massive power consumption driven by AI. While small modular reactors (SMRs) will play some role in the future, in the long term, nuclear fusion power and renewable energy will save humanity."

The development of AI causes significant power consumption. There is a growing argument that the AI revolution depends on a stable supply of electricity, as Nvidia’s graphics processing units (GPUs) consume enormous amounts of power.

Countries are also increasing private sector investments in nuclear fusion. According to the Fusion Industry Association (FIA), the number of nuclear fusion startups grew from 5 in 2018 and 7 in 2019 to about 40 in 2022 and around 50 in 2024.

Abroad, announcements suggest that nuclear fusion commercialization is not far off. The United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan are accelerating commercialization efforts. A representative example is the U.S. startup Helion Energy, which forecasts power generation through nuclear fusion as soon as 2028, just four years away. Helion Energy, invested in by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI who created ChatGPT, has also signed a power supply contract with Microsoft.

Blue Laser Fusion (BLF), founded by Dr. Shuji Nakamura, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics for the blue laser diode, has received investments from Japan’s SoftBank and Itochu Corporation. This investment attracted attention as an example of a trading company investing in nuclear fusion. BLF is researching methods to ignite nuclear fusion reactions using powerful laser beams. The UK is also promoting the STEP project, aiming to operate a nuclear fusion power plant in the Nottinghamshire region by the 2040s.

CEO Lee forecasts that true commercialization of nuclear fusion will be achieved around 2040. He believes it will be difficult to secure commercial viability before then.