Materion Corporation announced it has entered into an agreement with Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) to supply beryllium fluoride for use in fusion power plants.
Under the agreement, Materion will provide the beryllium fluoride for the production of FLiBE molten salt that will be used in CFS’ ARC power plants. Shipments of the material from Materion’s Elmore, OH, facility will begin this year.
“Beryllium fluoride is a critical component needed to advance the development of groundbreaking fusion technologies, and we’re extremely pleased to take the next step in our collaboration with Commonwealth Fusion Systems,” says Jugal Vijayvargiya, President and Chief Executive Officer, Materion. “CFS is relentlessly pursuing clean fusion energy at a commercially relevant scale, and Materion is committed to providing the quantities of beryllium fluoride that are needed.”
CFS is moving forward with plans to build a grid-scale fusion plant, called ARC, in Chesterfield County, Va. that will put power on the grid in the early 2030s.
“As a global company, Materion has the experience needed to provide this essential material for our ARC power plants and to help CFS lay the foundation for a commercial fusion supply chain,” said Bob Mumgaard, Co-founder and CEO of CFS. “Materion’s technical expertise and production capabilities as the world’s preeminent beryllium supplier are highly supportive of our mission. We look forward to deepening our partnership with Materion on FLiBE-relevant materials, which will be essential to our commercialization of fusion power.”