Fusion power startup Focused Energy has taken a significant leap towards commercializing fusion energy, announcing a deal to acquire two of the world's most powerful lasers. The massive lasers, capable of delivering over a kilojoule of energy to a target, will be installed in the startup's future facility in the San Francisco Bay Area, currently under construction.

The acquisition, valued at nearly $40 million, marks a crucial milestone in Focused Energy's pursuit of inertial confinement fusion, a technique that involves compressing a fuel pellet to the point where its contents fuse and release energy. The company's CEO, Scott Mercer, highlighted the significance of the deal, stating that these lasers are among the highest-average-power lasers in private company hands.

The inertial confinement approach has already demonstrated net-positive fusion power, with the U.S. government's National Ignition Facility achieving a breakthrough in this area just over two years ago. However, the current state-of-the-art system is limited to performing around 300 "shots" per year, far fewer than the 10 shots per second targeted by Focused Energy for a commercial fusion power plant.

The two new lasers, manufactured by French laser specialist Amplitude Laser, will be capable of firing about once per minute, with the supporting equipment still under development. According to Doug Hammond, Focused Energy's VP of laser engineering, these lasers are technology demonstrators for the ultimate fusion pilot plant, with the high-energy main amplifiers being developed in parallel.

The bespoke laser systems, each occupying around 1,600 square feet, are a testament to the complexity and scale of the technology involved. Amplitude CEO Damien Buet noted that the reason for not producing such large lasers in series is due to a lack of demand, but if Focused Energy can hit its milestones, that may change. The company's current designs for a commercial power plant require thousands of lasers per facility, which would necessitate a significant ramp-up of the entire supply chain.

The high number of lasers required is driven by the need to provide enough energy to spark ignition and ensure reliability in the event of laser repair or replacement. With Focused Energy targeting 2035 for commercialization, the company's main challenge lies in building things quickly enough. Mercer emphasized that the timeline is largely conditioned on the speed at which laser manufacturing can be scaled up.

The implications of Focused Energy's progress are far-reaching, with the potential to revolutionize the energy sector. As the company continues to push the boundaries of fusion power, it may pave the way for a new era of clean and sustainable energy production. With its sights set on commercialization, Focused Energy is poised to play a significant role in shaping the future of energy.