Helion Energy Clears Critical Fusion Threshold in Race for 2028 Commercial Power
Everett, Friday, 13 February 2026.
Helion Energy achieved 150 million degrees Celsius—ten times hotter than the sun’s core. This breakthrough validates their fusion technology, keeping the ambitious 2028 commercial power target on track.
Surpassing the Physics Threshold
On Friday, February 13, 2026, Helion Energy confirmed that its seventh-generation prototype, Polaris, successfully reached plasma temperatures of 150 million degrees Celsius [1][2]. This specific temperature is significant because 100 million degrees is considered the minimum threshold necessary to generate sustained commercial fusion power [1]. By exceeding this requirement by 50 percent, the company has validated the efficacy of its unique approach. The prototype, located in suburban Seattle, achieved these conditions—comparable to ten times the temperature of the sun’s core—marking a pivotal step toward viable energy production [1].
Direct Electricity Generation
Helion’s technology diverges from standard fusion methods by utilizing a field-reversed configuration (FRC) [2]. In this system, fuel is introduced at the wide edges of an hourglass-shaped chamber to form plasma, which magnets then accelerate and collide in the center [2]. This collision compresses the plasma, driving temperatures from an initial 10–20 million degrees up to the 150 million degree milestone [2]. A key economic differentiator for Helion is its ability to capture electricity directly from the reactor’s magnetic fields during the fusion process, thereby removing the need for costly steam turbines [1][2]. While the current tests use a deuterium-tritium fuel mix, the company plans to transition to a deuterium-helium-3 fuel for commercial operations [2].
The 2028 Commercial Deadline
With the physics validated, attention turns to the construction of “Orion,” a 50-megawatt commercial power plant in Malaga, Washington [1][2]. This facility is critical to fulfilling Helion’s contract with Microsoft to supply electricity to the tech giant’s data center campus by 2028 [1][2]. Helion co-founder and CEO David Kirtley stated that the company remains on schedule to deliver the first electrons to the grid by that date, though he conceded that it is an “aggressive milestone” and “going to be hard” [1]. The company, chaired by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman since 2015, relies on a strategy of rapid iteration to meet these tight deadlines [1].
Competitive Landscape
The race to commercialize fusion involves several key players with varying timelines. For instance, Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) aims to bring its SPARC prototype online in 2027, with its first commercial plant, ARC, slated for the early 2030s [1]. Helion’s success with Polaris suggests it may be positioned to beat competitors to the grid, bolstered by significant financial backing, including $425 million raised from investors last year [2]. Kirtley has emphasized that the ultimate goal is not just building a single plant, but deploying scalable, clean baseload power globally [1].