Helion Energy, one of the world’s leading companies, has started the construction of a fusion power plant in Chelan County, Oregon. The plant, part of the Orion project, aims to provide clean and affordable energy to Microsoft’s data centers by 2028. The location was chosen due to its existing energy infrastructure and direct connection to the region’s main power grids, reports Baltimore Chronicle.
According to Helion’s co-founder and CEO, David Kertly, this milestone is not only significant for his company but for the entire fusion energy industry, as it marks the beginning of a new era of energy independence. The company plans to produce zero-carbon electricity from water-based fuel. Helion’s previous prototype, Trenta, became the first in the private sector to achieve the required temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius necessary for a commercial fusion reaction.
In 2023, Microsoft signed the world’s first energy purchase agreement for fusion energy, with Constellation Energy as the official energy trader.
Earlier we wrote that Microsoft has once again become the world’s most valuable public company after the fall of Apple.