Helion Energy to demonstrate net electricity production by 2024

[Skipjack]

Yup, that is what Antares, their new, giant manufacturing hall is for.
This is where they will build the first commercial machines (and the current test machines, like Polaris). Of course they will greatly expand operations over time. I think the IPO will come right around the time when the first commercial machines roll out. At that point they are no longer a startup and will get a much higher valuation.

[Skipjack]

Nice article provides more details on Antares and Helion's plans for the future.
Currently they are employing 80 people and they want to double that by the end of the year.
Once they demonstrate net electricity (the article confuses that and says "net energy", because well... journalists), they plan to hire more than 1000 people and produce 20 fusion generators a day. That would be roughly 365 GW a year. That means they could produce enough fusion generators to serve the entire US grid in a little over 3 years! Replace the electricity production of the entire world in 7.5 years!
I think it is ambitious, but even half of that would change the world in unforeseen ways.
https://www.heraldnet.com/business/heli ... et_organic

[mvanwink5]

SJ,
Remember that Helion nearly doubled the fusion power output, so 20 a day would equate to nearly double the peak power to 700 GW (rough numbers of course). But this kind of factory output target is wonderful news. The size of Helion's fusion electric generator units will easily drop into a gas turbine peaker footprint; a utilities' dream.

[Skipjack]

SJ,
Remember that Helion nearly doubled the fusion power output, so 20 a day would equate to nearly double the peak power to 700 GW (rough numbers of course). But this kind of factory output target is wonderful news. The size of Helion's fusion electric generator units will easily drop into a gas turbine peaker footprint; a utilities' dream.

I went with the (still) official 50 MW number for now. It is possible that they will just build smaller machines instead, or use half the pulse rate. Both would make some things easier. They might even have multiple classes of machines (though that makes mass production more difficult). We will see how things go after Polaris, I guess. In any case it is likely that the machines will continue to improve over time, even after they started mass production.
I agree on the gas peaker- thing. With the whole situation over in Europe, replacing gas is more urgent than ever.

[mvanwink5]

Yes, your point that it is way too early to talk in details is valid. The huge news is the thinking that Helion has on the scale of the factory, 20 units a day! I am sure if Helion can expedite the progress they would, but already it is ambitious. Really admirable.

[Skipjack]

Yes, your point that it is way too early to talk in details is valid. The huge news is the thinking that Helion has on the scale of the factory, 20 units a day! I am sure if Helion can expedite the progress they would, but already it is ambitious. Really admirable.

I think that a GW/day is pretty ambitious too. Is a total game changer, though.

[Skipjack]

The big four (4!) trolley gantry crane is in! Once we have the final certificate of occupancy, we can move assembly to the Polaris building.

HelionTweetPolarisCrane.JPG (81.15 KiB) Viewed 6401 times

[mvanwink5]

A thing of beauty!

[Carl White]

they plan to... produce 20 fusion generators a day. That would be roughly 365 GW a year. That means they could produce enough fusion generators to serve the entire US grid in a little over 3 years! Replace the electricity production of the entire world in 7.5 years!

Then what? They'll have nearly put themselves out of business.

[mvanwink5]

Then what? They'll have nearly put themselves out of business.

Space, the new frontier! And energy is everything.

[Skipjack]

they plan to... produce 20 fusion generators a day. That would be roughly 365 GW a year. That means they could produce enough fusion generators to serve the entire US grid in a little over 3 years! Replace the electricity production of the entire world in 7.5 years!

Then what? They'll have nearly put themselves out of business.

No, energy, especially electricity demand will continue to increase dramatically. With costs of Helion's machines being low, a lot of poor countries will go with fusion. Plus the electrification of transportation and of industry will further increase demand. I think we will see a very long period of growth.
Eventually, older machines will have to be replaced. There will likely be newer ones that perform better, are smaller, etc. So I doubt that they will have problems keeping their business running for a very long time. And by that time David and his investors will likely all be trillionaires anyway. Elon Musk will probably kick himself in the butt for not seeing it coming
As mvanwink5 says, Mars and Moon bases would be a great application for these too. They should fit into a Starship payload bay. Reliable 50MW on Mars would be really useful. And David and his team still have a propulsion system in the drawer too. Though admittedly, I think ZAP's design could be better for propulsion, provided it works as well as expected. Exciting times ahead, my friends!

[mvanwink5]

Elon Musk will probably kick himself in the butt for not seeing it coming

Frankly, I cannot understand why he has not jumped on it. Perhaps his solar company has clouded his vision? Fusion is making utility scale electric power solar obsolete. Why put a solar roof on a home when cheap fusion power is available?

[Skipjack]

Elon Musk will probably kick himself in the butt for not seeing it coming

Frankly, I cannot understand why he has not jumped on it. Perhaps his solar company has clouded his vision? Fusion is making utility scale electric power solar obsolete. Why put a solar roof on a home when cheap fusion power is available?

Not everyone can be an expert on everything. Musk is good at what he is doing and what he has put his mind to and that is great, mind you. The problem is that he seemingly never had the right idea (or advice, or interaction) with fusion.
Life is full of circumstances (I am the living proof of that, or I would be a millionaire right now) that also shape our perception of the world.

[Skipjack]

SJ,
Remember that Helion nearly doubled the fusion power output, so 20 a day would equate to nearly double the peak power to 700 GW (rough numbers of course). But this kind of factory output target is wonderful news. The size of Helion's fusion electric generator units will easily drop into a gas turbine peaker footprint; a utilities' dream.

So, they can't really get much higher than 50 MWe with their current design, even with the increased trapped flux. The thermals and wall loads would become a problem then. What they are currently planning to do with the improvement is to have extra margin and if they don't need that, simply do a lower pulse rate. Since increasing the pulse rate is one of the hardest things on their plate, that makes total sense. Of course no one knows what the more distant future brings.

[mvanwink5]

So, they can't really get much higher than 50 MWe with their current design, even with the increased trapped flux. The thermals and wall loads would become a problem then.

SJ,
Thanks for that insight, besides, 50 MWe is a good modular size.

On the subject of Musk, in an interview he voiced the opinion that he believes that fusion will never be economical. I have no idea why he holds that view, who he is listening to.