Princeton spinout wins $20M to scale high-temp superconducting magnets for fusion tech

Princeton University spinout Thea Energy has secured a $20 million award from the US Department of Energy’s ARPA-E program to scale production of high-temperature superconducting magnets for its fusion technology. The funding will help the company expand manufacturing and testing capabilities for modular HTS magnets, which are central to its approach to building stellarator fusion power plants. Thea Energy said the technology could also find applications beyond the fusion industry. The company is developing a planar coil stellarator architecture designed to use arrays of mass-manufacturable magnets and software controls to produce fusion power. Its first large-scale integrated stellarator system, called Eos, is expected to use about 300 of the planar shaping coils. Fusion magnets move forward Thea Energy said it has spent the past two years developing its HTS magnet technology and validating both the magnets and the manufacturing processes needed to produce them at higher volumes. The company said the ARPA-E award will support the development of the first domestic production line for modular HTS magnets. The magnets are designed to be manufactured at scale, potentially allowing fusion systems to be assembled using factory-produced components rather than relying entirely on bespoke manufacturing. “Our magnets are designed to be mass manufactured and in just a couple of years, we’ve iterated these coils over a hundred times, finalized the design, and derisked this core technology, positioning us for this next phase – manufacturing scale up,” said Brian Berzin, co-founder and CEO of Thea Energy. “We will utilize approximately 300 of these planar shaping coils in our first large-scale integrated stellarator system, ‘Eos’. Expanding our capabilities and the use of our superconducting magnets across the fusion industry will accelerate commercialization of various system architectures.” The award was made through ARPA-E’s SCALEUP program, which supports technologies that have already received ARPA-E funding and are considered ready to move closer to commercial adoption. Thea Energy previously developed its planar coil technology through the agency’s BETHE program. The company was selected following a competitive review that assessed technical maturity and the commercial scalability of technologies that could strengthen domestic energy supply chains. Stellarators target commercial scale Stellarators use magnetic fields to confine extremely hot plasma and sustain the conditions needed for nuclear fusion. Unlike conventional tokamaks, which rely partly on plasma currents to maintain confinement, stellarators are designed to use complex external magnetic fields to control the plasma. Thea Energy’s approach uses planar superconducting coils that can be manufactured in modules and arranged to create the magnetic field needed to confine plasma. The company says its manufacturing approach could help reduce the complexity and cost of producing large fusion systems. “ARPA-E’s mission is to develop technologies that deliver affordable, reliable, secure energy for all Americans. Thea Energy has validated its magnets and outlined a clear strategy to scale the consistent, high-yield fabrication of these coils. Modular, factory-built magnet components will enable the rapidly growing fusion power industry to create power at unprecedented scale,” said Dr. Dave Nye, SCALEUP federal lead. The $20 million award follows several other milestones for Thea Energy, including a $100 million Series B funding round, its HTS magnet validation campaign and a design review for its Helios power plant.Recommended ArticlesGet the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.With over a decade-long career in journalism, Neetika Walter has worked with The Economic Times, ANI, and Hindustan Times, covering politics, business, technology, and the clean energy sector. Passionate about contemporary culture, books, poetry, and storytelling, she brings depth and insight to her writing. When she isn’t chasing stories, she’s likely lost in a book or enjoying the company of her dogs.