Australian Laser Fusion Developer Gets $22m Boost In Australia

Australian laser fusion developer HB11 Energy has been awarded Au$22 million to build sovereign fusion energy capabilities.

The funding, part of an Au$50 million ‘Trailblazer’ grant awarded to the universities of Adelaide and New South Wales, is intended for the development of the next generation high power lasers needed for the nuclear fusion energy industry.

The Trailblazer programme is designed to harness local R&D expertise to develop national manufacturing capabilities in key areas such as clean energy and defence for the local and export markets.

HB11 Energy, Australia’s first laser fusion company, will assist with the proof-of-concept and development of new petawatt laser technology that is suited to generating hydrogen-boron fusion.

He adds that the nuclear fusion energy industry alone could create billions in economic value for Australia, as long as there is continued investment.

The project supports a key element of HB11 Energy’s technology roadmap and could re-establish the country as a leader in fusion technology.

Previously in the early 1930s Sir Mark Oliphant, an Australian physicist, played a key role in the experimental demonstration of nuclear fusion at Cambridge.

Earlier in the year HB11 Energy reported demonstrating non-thermal fusion of hydrogen and boron-11 adding weight to the potential viability of the technique.