A new article in Science News Explores features Zap's Chief Scientist Uri Shumlak. Like all energy sources, #fusion adheres to the law of energy conservation, but its exceptionally high energy density means it could power entire cities with a tiny amount of fuel: www.snexplores.org/article/cons...
None of this would be possible without the extraordinary people behind the work. We’re proud of what we’ve built together — and even more excited for what’s ahead.
If you're interested in joining us, please get in touch.
www.zapenergy.com/careers
@departmentofenergy.bsky.social recently
created a dedicated Office of Fusion Energy and launched the #GenesisMission, which identifies fusion as a national priority. genesis.energy.gov
@cantwell.senate.gov has been an especially strong bipartisan leader on the Fusion Advanced Manufacturing Parity Act and for @scsp.bsky.social's fusion roadmap.
www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-r...
Led by the U.S. Fusion Energy Caucus and
@repricklarsen.bsky.social, we hosted two U.S. congressional staff delegations at our facilities, giving them an opportunity to see and discuss fusion innovation firsthand.
@departmentofenergy.bsky.social granted Zap 1 million node-hours on two of the world's fastest supercomputers for the first-ever Vlasov kinetic Z-pinch simulations. www.zapenergy.com/news/zap-awa...
We kicked off 2025 by publishing a paper detailing neutron isotropy measurements that show that FuZE generates thermal fusion. It’s a benchmark milestone for scaling and giving confidence in reaching higher performance on the FuZE devices.
www.zapenergy.com/blog/the-rig...
Each of our 11,700+ plasmas started with a burst of pulsed power. In addition to upgrading one of our five existing power banks, we brought 3(!) new purpose-built capacitor banks online this year—including our fastest-discharging bank ever.
We completed our new advanced materials lab focused on lithium metal, the main functional material in plasma-facing reactor components and commercial fusion power plants. Next year, we'll commission solid lithium components and our first closed loop that circulates molten lithium.
His team delivered on that vision, commissioning a third-generation liquid metal loop that circulates 2,500 pounds of hot bismuth and a new liquid metal wall that uses swirling, centrifugal forces to coat Century's chamber walls and absorb energy.
This spring, liquid metals team lead Brian Kelleher advocated in Nuclear News for reviving the pioneering spirit of the high temperature thermal hydraulics field from decades ago.
By September, Century operations had reached 39 kW average input power. Its plasmas carried the current of 20 lightning bolts, striking every 5 seconds for more than 100 consecutive shots, and depositing energy into circulating liquid metal walls.
Early this year, @departmentofenergy.bsky.social certified a Century campaign of 1,080 shots over 3 hours without failure, marking the completion of our first technical milestone for the U.S. Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program. www.zapenergy.com/news/doe-cen...
We upgraded diagnostic capabilities to better measure and understand plasma dynamics, including a new array of viewing ports around FuZE-Q's accelerator region and multi-point Thomson scattering configurations. www.zapenergy.com/blog/fusions...
Among all those records, density and pressure stand out. To get there, we commissioned a new three-electrode fusion device called FuZE-3 which achieved plasma pressures exceeding 1 gigapascal. That's ten times the pressure found in the depths of the Mariana Trench. www.zapenergy.com/news/zap-ene...
Between our 5 plasma devices, we produced over 11,700 Z-pinch plasmas and set several new performance records for our design this year. We hit new highs for neutron yield (>10^10), density (>7x10^24 m-3), pressure (1.6 GPa) and shear velocity (>200 km/s).
For Zap, 2025 was a year of ambition, milestones and momentum. Here's a look back at some of our most important developments. www.zapenergy.com/blog/2025-hi...
At this year's APS-DPP conference in Long Beach, Zap preliminary FuZE-3 results and other findings, and shared progress on plasma physics, our Century platform, and fusion pilot plant design at the DOE Milestone Awardee mini-conference.
Joshua McNichols of NPR/KUOW visited recently to learn about Zap's fusion power plant development progress and to capture the momentum around the fusion industry.
Listen closely to hear a Century run in progress: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
Zap Energy exceeds Mariana Trench-level pressures in pursuit of limitless clean power https://www.geekwire.com/2025/zap-hits-new-fusion-milestone-squeezing-plasma-with-pressure-thats-10x-mariana-trench/
Zap Energy's Fuze-3 device has generated record plasma pressures for the startup's unique approach to fusion power.
“We’re really just getting started with FuZE-3,” says Zap VP of R&D Ben Levitt. “We’re generating lots of high-quality shots with high repeatability, and we have plenty of headroom to continue making rapid progress in fusion performance.”
Further details are being presented this week at the #APSDPP2025 meeting and the team plans to publish FuZE-3 results in the scientific literature in the coming months. schedule.aps.org/dpp/2025/eve...
FuZE-3 is Zap’s first device to incorporate a third electrode to separate the forces that drive plasma acceleration and compression. FuZE-3 is similar in design to previous FuZE devices but unique in its three-electrode configuration with two locations for pulsed power inputs.
Zap’s highest electron pressure measurement to date is 830 MPa. Assuming the temperature of the electrons and ions is about equal, the total plasma pressure is double, or 1.6 GPa. That’s 10,000x atmospheric pressure and 10x the pressure at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
While some fusion machines strive for the highest pressures that can possibly be attained, others rely on longer confinement times to make up for low pressure. Zap’s SFS Z pinches aim for a middle ground that balances both compression and confinement. www.zapenergy.com/blog/hot-eno...
Reaching high pressures, a measurement that combines temperature with density, is essential in fusion because the higher the plasma pressure, the more fusion reactions occur and produce energy. This video shows the plasma compressing inside FuZE-3.
We have now achieved plasmas with pressures as high as 1.6 GPa, comparable to the pressures found deep below Earth’s crust. Introducing the latest Zap device, FuZE-3... www.zapenergy.com/news/zap-ene...
A long cylindrical vacuum chamber about 10 feet long with 2 foot window on it and lots of cables coming off the sides.
FuZE-3 is Zap’s first device to incorporate a third electrode to separate the forces that drive plasma acceleration and compression. FuZE-3 is similar in design to previous FuZE devices but unique in its three-electrode configuration with two locations for pulsed power inputs.
A science chart showing pressure data
Zap’s highest electron pressure measurement to date is 830 MPa. Assuming the temperature of the electrons and ions is about equal, the total plasma pressure is double, or 1.6 GPa. That’s 10,000x atmospheric pressure and 10x the pressure at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
