Fusion Energy Resources

In the Spotlight: New Publications

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Fusion Science & Technology Roadmap

In a groundbreaking era for inertial fusion energy marked by significant achievements at NIF, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released its Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap, a national strategy to accelerate the development and commercialization of fusion energy on the most rapid, responsible timeline in history.

The Roadmap defines DOE’s Build–Innovate–Grow strategy to align public investment and private innovation to deliver commercial fusion power to the grid by the mid-2030s.
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Fusion Forward, Powering America's Future

The Special Competitive Studies Project’s Commission on the Scaling of Fusion Energy released its final report outlining a national strategy to ensure the United States wins the urgent global race to commercialize fusion energy. The race hit a critical turning point after LLNL’s NIF achieved fusion ignition in 2022. LLNL Director Kim Budil is a member of the commission.

IFE Basic Research Needs Report

LLNL’s achievement of fusion ignition at NIF gives the United States a “unique opportunity” to lead the global pursuit of fusion as a future clean energy source, according to a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) report.

Seizing this opportunity requires a renewed, rapidly paced inertial fusion energy (IFE) research program, coordinating public, private, and academic efforts, according to the DOE Office of Science-sponsored IFE Basic Research Needs report.

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IFE Basic Research Needs Report

Related Websites

IFE Science & Technology Community Strategic Planning Workshop (2021-2022)

IFE Science & Technology Strategic Planning Workshop (2007)

LaserNetUS

IFE Collaboratory Resources

Overview

Capabilities

2022 Industry Days

Background Documents

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES REPORTS

An Assessment of the Prospects for Inertial Fusion Energy (2013)

Assessment of Inertial Confinement Fusion Targets (2013)

Bringing Fusion to the U.S. Grid (2021)

Plasma Science: Enabling Technology, Sustainability, Security, and Exploration (2020)

Opportunities in Intense Ultrafast Lasers: Reaching for the Brightest Light (2018)

 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REPORTS

FESAC Long Range Plan: Powering the Future Fusion & Plasmas: A long-range plan to deliver fusion energy and to advance plasma science (2021)

Report on the NNSA - Office of Science: Basic Research Directions for User Science at the National Ignition Facility (2011)

Brightest Light Initiative (2019)

DOE Basic Research Needs for High Energy Density Laboratory Physics (2009)

 

COMMUNITY PLANNING REPORTS

APS-DPP Community Planning Process (2020)

LLNL IFE References

The potential application of Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) to energy production has been pursued by the community, including LLNL, since the recognition that it might be possible to achieve high gain ICF in the laboratory. Over the decades, LLNL has contributed to multiple IFE studies, with significant efforts, including the High Average Power Laser (HAPL) program, in the 1990’s and 2000’s for both laser and heavy ion driven concepts.

A substantive recent effort was the Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) study, which aimed to develop an accelerated path towards commercialization of IFE in anticipation of ignition (breakeven) on the National Ignition Facility (NIF). As a relatively recent effort (~2008 to ~2014) that studied, preliminarily developed, and integrated many aspects of what might be required to achieve IFE, the results from LIFE can provide one viewpoint and help inform the IFE community as we work to develop an appropriate path forward.

This LLNL web page provides a list of references for potential follow up.