TAE Technologies said on Wednesday it had secured a prospective long-term supply of helium-3 fuel through a strategic agreement with Black Moon Energy, as the fusion energy firm moves closer to building its first commercial power plant.
The agreement provides TAE with a prospective helium-3 supply option while the two companies collaborate on the commercial development of fusion energy. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The company said the arrangement strengthens its long-term fuel strategy by providing an alternative to the deuterium-tritium fuel cycle that most fusion developers are pursuing.
TAE, which has spent about three decades developing fusion technology and has built five experimental fusion machines, is preparing to construct its first fusion power plant, known as Da Vinci.
The fusion energy firm expects the facility to generate about 50 megawatts of electrical power, or MWe, and serve as a stepping stone toward larger commercial plants capable of producing between 350 MWe and 500 MWe.
TAE said it expects to select a site for the Da Vinci project later this year, with operations targeted to begin in 2031.