Photo source: OpenStar
A New Zealand-based startup, OpenStar Technologies, has announced a notable achievement in the field of nuclear fusion, claiming to have successfully created plasma—a crucial initial step toward achieving fusion energy. The milestone was reached in less than two years and at a cost of under USD$10 million (approximately NZD$16.9 million), utilising an innovative reactor design.
Founded in 2021 by Ratu Mataira, OpenStar reported on Tuesday that it managed to generate and contain a plasma cloud at approximately 300,000 degrees Celsius for a duration of 20 seconds within its first experimental reactor. Although achieving nuclear fusion requires much higher temperatures, OpenStar’s approach is important for its unconventional reactor design, which the company asserts could lead to faster scaling and commercialisation.
The potential of nuclear fusion lies in its ability to release vast amounts of energy when hydrogen isotopes collide and fuse within a plasma environment. This process has captivated researchers for decades due to its promise of providing a clean and virtually limitless energy source without the long-lived radioactive waste associated with traditional nuclear fission.
Recently, there has been a surge in funding directed toward fusion startups as investors anticipate that this technology could offer affordable, carbon-free energy solutions. However, experts caution that the path to commercialisation remains lengthy and complex.
Many existing nuclear fusion initiatives, such as ITER in France, the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor, and JT-60SA in Japan, employ a “tokamak” design developed by Soviet scientists in the 1950s. The design features plasma contained within a doughnut-shaped chamber using powerful external magnets.
Mataira explained that OpenStar’s innovation involves reversing the tokamak concept. Instead of placing magnets externally, OpenStar’s design incorporates a high-temperature superconducting magnet levitated within the superheated plasma. This magnet then maintains the plasma within its magnetic field lines, allowing it to remain contained in a vacuum chamber despite its extreme temperatures.
“The core engineering challenge is how do you make a magnet that’s surrounded by plasma operate for long enough to be useful,” Mataira noted. He elaborated that the levitating magnet is powered by batteries and can function for up to 80 minutes before requiring recharging.
Mataira believes this design will ultimately be more scalable than traditional tokamak reactors due to its adaptability. He likened constructing a tokamak to “building a ship in a bottle,” where every design choice affects other systems. Upgrading such systems often necessitates constructing entirely new reactors over several years.
New Zealand has been recognised as a nuclear-free zone since 1987 and does not operate any nuclear power plants. Nevertheless, Mataira assured that OpenStar’s research complies with national radiation safety regulations. He anticipates that the public will understand the distinction between nuclear fission and fusion, particularly since fusion does not produce radioactive waste.
So far, OpenStar has relied on local New Zealand investors for funding but aims to secure Series A investment in early 2025. Mataira indicated that the company would ultimately require between USD$500 million and $1 billion to address all technical risks involved.
“The reason why we are excited by fusion is because we think it can aid the decarbonisation of the energy sector, and for that there is an enormous amount of time pressure,” Mataira added. OpenStar also suggests that nuclear fusion could become commercially viable within six years.