Pacific Fusion and General Atomics Team Up to Deliver Breakthroughs in Inertial Fusion Energy

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Expanding Collaboration Accelerates Path to Clean, Sustainable Fusion Energy

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FREMONT, Calif., April 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pacific Fusion Corporation, which raised a >$900M series A in 2024 to power the world with abundant, affordable, and clean energy, is collaborating with fusion technology leader General Atomics (GA) to test a production-scale, first-of-its-kind pulser module — a system designed to store electrical energy and deliver it in powerful, precisely controlled bursts to ultimately drive small containers of fuel to high yield (>100 megajoule) fusion conditions.

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This module is a next-generation impedance-matched Marx generator (IMG), co-invented by Pacific Fusion cofounder and Chief Technology Officer Keith LeChien. When combined, multiple IMG modules form a pulser – a system that generates a powerful electric current to compress a fusion target to the high temperatures and pressures needed for fusion.

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Pacific Fusion’s pulser design effort was supported by engineers from General Atomics, a global leader in fabricating cutting-edge fusion ignition targets. The goal is to achieve net facility energy gain, where the fusion energy output exceeds the energy stored in the capacitors. This milestone has never been reached and is the next major technological step in advancing fusion power using Pacific Fusion’s approach.

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“We’re delivering the most power-dense, line replaceable unit in fusion history using modular components that can be mass-manufactured at low cost. This provides an engineering foundation for fusion energy systems that deliver reliable, firm, and affordable power and heat,” LeChien said.

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“With our long history of fusion innovation, General Atomics offers a powerful launchpad for fast-moving startups like Pacific Fusion,” said Dr. Anantha Krishnan, senior vice president of the General Atomics Energy Group. “Our scientists bring deep expertise in computational modeling design, fusion science, and engineering—gained through decades of operating the Department of Energy’s DIII-D National Fusion Facility. We’re excited to use our world-leading capabilities to collaborate with Pacific Fusion on these innovative experiments.”

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Each pulser module will deliver about 2TW of peak power in a single fast pulse, or about four times more power than the average power provided by the entire US electrical grid – all from a device that fits in the footprint of a shipping container. Roughly 150 of these modules are required for PF’s Demonstration System, designed to deliver net facility energy gain and unlock abundant firm power.

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Pacific Fusion has already made major technological strides toward this mission. Last winter at its Fremont Test Center, the team successfully demonstrated that the core components of each module met performance standards—completing more than 100 consecutive tests in a single day to validate system reliability.

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GA has supported Pacific Fusion’s since its founding, offering critical guidance in system analysis, engineering, prototype testing, scaling, and infrastructure development. The relationship is now evolving to include collaboration on full-scale fusion power plant components, such as system operations, cryogenics, manufacturing at production scale, and target fabrication.