Your Daily Fusion Energy Briefing

Fusion Startup Helion Achieves 150 Million Degree Plasma Breakthrough

• Helion, an Everett, Washington-based fusion startup, announced on April 12, 2026, a significant milestone as its Polaris prototype reactor reached plasma temperatures of 150 million degrees Celsius. This achievement is a crucial step towards the company's goal of commercializing fusion power by 2028, including a contract to supply electricity to Microsoft from its larger Orion reactor. Notably, Helion's unique reactor design requires plasmas twice as hot as other fusion reactors to operate optimally and aims to generate electricity directly from fusion reactions, rather than converting heat.

  NationaltodayWoodmacNationaltoday

• In a separate development, UK-based Tokamak Energy also reported a breakthrough on April 11, 2026, achieving 100 million degrees Celsius in its ST40 spherical tokamak. This milestone is intended to pave the way for a pilot fusion energy plant by the mid-2030s, which is projected to generate 85 MW of net electricity, enough to power approximately 70,000 homes.

  Nationaltoday

• Further demonstrating industry growth and collaboration, Helion launched its HERCULES program on April 10, 2026, committing $4 million to fund 25 external research proposals. These grants, ranging from $50,000 to $500,000, will support private companies, universities, and national laboratories, with the aim of applying the research findings to commercial-scale fusion deployment.

  Ans