Imagine a world where energy is clean, abundant, and virtually limitless. Sounds like science fiction, right? But what if I told you that a small startup in Everett, Washington, is on the brink of making this a reality? Helion, a fusion energy pioneer, has just achieved a staggering milestone: their Polaris prototype reactor has reached temperatures of 150 million degrees Celsius—a blistering three-quarters of the way to their goal for commercial fusion power. This isn’t just a scientific achievement; it’s a potential game-changer for humanity’s energy future.
Here’s where it gets even more exciting: Helion is using deuterium-tritium fuel, a mix of hydrogen isotopes, to power their reactor. According to co-founder and CEO David Kirtley, this makes them the first fusion company to operate with this fuel type. ‘We saw fusion power output increase dramatically, just as we predicted,’ Kirtley told TechCrunch. But here’s where it gets controversial: while most fusion startups aim to extract energy as heat, Helion is taking a bold, unconventional approach by generating electricity directly from the fusion reaction’s magnetic field. Could this be the key to outpacing their competitors?
The race to commercialize fusion power is heating up—literally. Helion isn’t alone in this quest. Companies like Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Type One Energy, and Inertia Enterprises are pouring billions into the technology. But Helion has a deadline that’s raising eyebrows: a contract with Microsoft to deliver electricity by 2028, a full two years ahead of most competitors’ timelines. And this is the part most people miss—this power won’t come from Polaris but from Orion, a larger, 50-megawatt reactor currently under construction.
Helion’s reactor design is uniquely ambitious. Unlike the doughnut-shaped tokamaks used by many competitors, Helion employs a field-reversed configuration, where fuel is injected into an hourglass-shaped chamber, turned into plasma, and accelerated toward each other. The result? Temperatures soar to 150 million degrees Celsius in less than a millisecond. But their ultimate goal is even more audacious: 200 million degrees Celsius, a target far beyond what other companies are aiming for. ‘That’s the sweet spot for operating a power plant,’ Kirtley explained.
And here’s a twist: Helion plans to switch from deuterium-tritium to deuterium-helium-3 fuel in the future. Why? Helium-3 produces more charged particles, which are better suited for their direct electricity generation method. But there’s a catch: helium-3 is scarce on Earth, so Helion will have to produce it themselves. Kirtley admits this is a challenge but remains optimistic: ‘We’ve been pleasantly surprised by how manageable the technology has been.’
So, is Helion’s approach the future of fusion, or are they biting off more than they can chew? And what does their success mean for the rest of the industry? Will other companies follow their lead and adopt helium-3 fuel? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—this is a conversation that’s just getting started.
