As I fly back from the 2025 IEEE Pulsed Power Conference in Berlin, one thing was very evident: commercial fusion is accelerating faster than anyone expected.
This year’s conference brought together more than 600 global experts. With over 200 abstracts submitted from across the world, the scale and speed of progress in pulsed power and fusion energy are staggering.
Fusion is closing in on reality. With breakthroughs in performance, design, and materials, the message is loud and clear: we cannot let up now.
IEEE Xplore will publish all conference abstracts on June 27, 2025, but I couldn’t wait to share my Top 10 takeaways from the event. This isn’t just a recap - it’s a call to action.
NIF Breaks 4.1 Target Gain - Dr. Debra A. Callahan’s plenary underscored the transition from ignition at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to commercial fusion energy. In April 2025, NIF achieved a 4.1 target gain with over 2 MJ of laser energy. Focused Energy, a German/U.S. startup, outlined ambitious plans for a 750 MW grid-scale plant requiring a 2.5 MJ laser at 10 Hz and a gain of 100, far beyond today’s best.
Pulsed Power for Fusion Scaling and Efficiency - The path to practical inertial fusion demands higher gains and dramatic improvements in laser efficiency (from 1% to 10%) and target manufacturing (900,000 shots/targets per day for a pilot plant). A key milestone will be mass-manufacturing of key supply chain components like targets and capacitors to push fusion to economically feasible energy generation in the Q > 25 regime in pilot plants operated in the range of 10-20 Hz.
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Announcement |
Details |
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Focused Energy’s Lighthouse pilot plant |
Q>1, 10 Hz demonstration targeted; mass target manufacturing in Germany |
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French German Research Institute of Saint-Louis: NGL-60 Railgun |
6 m barrel, 10 MJ bank, >2 MA, up to 1 kg projectiles, pulse forming for efficiency |
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Zap Energy’s 100 KW z-pinch fusion demonstrator update |
Zap reported on recent developmental advances of a liquid Bismuth wall stabilized z-pinch fusion demonstrator toward its path of economically viable U.S. fusion energy generation. |
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China Academy of Sciences: High-boost pulsed power generator |
Demonstration of nanosecond plasma pulses in microreactors |
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China Academy of Sciences: MHz repetitive induction cell |
Nanocrystalline magnetic cores, microchannel heat sinks, MHz switching |
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Sandia National Laboratory Z Machine: ZX Initiative |
Upgrade world’s highest Q inertial fusion machine, Z, hardware for higher energy/voltage, new capacitors, water-insulated sections, and a more compact design. |
Capacitor Technology Cost, Lifetime, and Reliability - Talks from General Atomics and others highlighted the massive scale and cost of capacitors for pulsed power fusion. Current designs are labor intensive, costly, and are designed for ~10,000 shot limited lifetimes; higher rep-rate capacitors will require new materials, improved reliability, and smarter derating strategies to avoid exponential cost increases and supply bottlenecks.
Diagnostics, Modeling, and Predictive Maintenance - Advanced diagnostics, such as high-speed imaging of metal deformation under transient currents (U.S. Naval Research Lab), and predictive modeling for dielectric breakdown and component life were major themes, aiming to improve reliability and reduce costs.
Z Machine and Next-Gen Facility Upgrades - Sandia National Labs and partners detailed plans to upgrade the Z facility in New Mexicao (ZX Initiative), increasing stored energy and voltage, and introducing compact, high-performance capacitors and water-insulated sections. China is set to break ground on a new 1 MJ Z-pinch facility in just six years, targeting the start of operation in 2031 and highlighting global competition and urgency to “get fusion on the grid”.
Advancements in Dielectric and Insulation Technologies - Sessions explored new gas, liquid, and solid dielectrics, including self-assembling materials and additives to increase electric field hold-off. Presentations also covered predictive models for dielectric breakdown and reliability, aiming to extend component lifetimes to over a billion pulses under high-stress conditions.
High-Current, High-Voltage Driver Requirements - The pulsed power community discussed the technical challenges of delivering currents from 500 kA to 60 MA, pulse widths from 50 ns to 10 µs, and voltages up to 10 MV. These requirements are critical for next-generation fusion drivers, Z Pinch, MagLiF, and direct drive laser-driven systems.
Emphasis on Advanced Diagnostics and Predictive Maintenance - There was significant interest in advanced diagnostics and predictive maintenance tools for pulsed power systems, which aim to improve reliability and reduce operational costs through better monitoring and modeling of component health and preventive maintenance strategies.
Roadmap for Long-Lifetime Energy Storage - A key outcome was the call for a roadmap to develop: (a) energy storage technologies that endure repetitive operation (0.1–100 Hz pulse rates), (b) energy storage systems with lifetimes exceeding a million pulses, and (c) continued global investment similar to Sandia’s lead ASAP - Sandia’s Assured Survivability and Agility with Pulsed Power program - to develop a scientific and skilled workforce to not only create, but operate the generation of fusion plant systems to come. This is vital for the long term stability and cost-effective operation of future pulsed power systems.
There is work to be done, but the funding, development, and advancements of fusion are accelerating faster each year. The growth of global financing, both public and private, is bringing us closer to commercial-grade fusion machines for power generation, transportation, medical treatments, and technology development.