Helion Energy breaks ground on fusion power plant, slated to be online in 2028

Helion Energy announced July 30 that it has begun initial construction on what it says will be the world's first commercial fusion power plant, called Orion, scheduled to provide electricity to Microsoft in 2028.

A spokesperson for Helion said the company also remains on track to become the first fusion company in the world to generate electricity from its Polaris test reactor later in 2025.

"Early testing has been encouraging, and they expect to demonstrate electricity this year," the spokesperson said in a July 30 email.

David Kirtley, Helion's co-founder and CEO, said in a statement that "[s]ince we founded the company, we have been completely focused on preparing fusion technology for commercialization and getting electrons on the grid." He said starting site work at the Orion facility brings the company "one step closer to that vision."

The fusion power plant will be located in Chelan County, Washington, on land leased from the Chelan County Public Utility District. The company said the site was chosen for its ready access to transmission assets. Photographs of the site shared with reporters showed excavation activities with trucks and bulldozers clearing a foundation and installing concrete structures. The photographs showed the site to be surrounded by transmission facilities.

Helion in 2023 signed a power purchase agreement with Microsoft to begin providing electricity by 2028, with Constellation Energy serving as the facility's power marketer.

"With site work now underway, Helion remains on track to meet that goal," Helion said in a press release.

Melanie Nakagawa, Microsoft's chief sustainability officer and corporate vice president for energy, connectivity and sustainability, said, "While the path to commercial fusion is still unfolding, we're proud to support Helion's pioneering work here in Washington state as part of our broader commitment to investing in sustainable energy."

Later this year, the company's 7th-generation prototype, Polaris, is expected to demonstrate the first electricity produced from fusion. "Helion finished Polaris assembly at the end of 2024, and they are currently ramping up operations of the machine," the spokesperson said.

The company's previous prototype, Trenta, was the first private reactor to achieve a fuel temperature of 100 million degrees C, considered the required operating temperature for a commercial fusion plant, Helion said.