The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and US fusion start-up Type One Energy have signed the first set of commercial contracts related to Project Infinity, which is developing fusion power plant technology to supply the Tennessee Valley with energy by the mid-2030s.
TVA, through its Power Service Shops (PSS) facility in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and with support from other locations, will assist in the development of tailored welding and fabrication techniques for Project Infinity. These manufacturing and construction methods will be used for the Type One Energy Infinity One stellarator fusion machine currently being deployed at TVA’s Bull Run Fossil Plant near Knoxville.
They are also intended for the potential subsequent TVA fusion power plant project, which utilises Type One Energy’s Infinity Two stellarator technology. Type One Energy signed a Cooperative Agreement with TVA in February to jointly develop plans for the project. In June, Type One completed the first formal design review of Infinity Two, a 350 MWe power plant using stellarator fusion power technology.
The TVA PSS draws on almost a century of expertise in power generation component overhaul and repair techniques to aid in developing practical welding processes and fabrication methods for the world’s first commercial fusion power plant project. They exercise the economic engagement of the Tennessee Valley and its workforce in creating the future of energy.
Developing a commercially viable fusion power plant requires not only the uniquely stable, steady-state, and efficient operating characteristics of stellarator technology, but also the broad manufacturing, construction, and operating experience of the power generation industry.
“I have seen TVA’s capabilities from my previous work with them in the nuclear and hydro power sectors,” said Mark Ruis, Type One Energy’s Vice President for Stellarator Maintenance and Inspection Solutions. “Their PSS facilities, and highly skilled workforce which repairs and refurbishes some of the most challenging components in the power industry, will significantly derisk our ability to deliver Infinity One and Infinity Two.”
“TVA Power Service Shops have a long, storied history and we look forward to being part of this initiative,” said Doug Keeling, TVA’s Vice President for the PSS. Engineering and construction work to prepare the facility for assembly of Infinity One is underway by a team of TVA and Type One Energy employees.
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