Australian fusion energy company to partner with ELI ERIC

Sydney’s HB11 Energy, which is pursuing “fusion technology for sustainable baseload energy”, says it is a step closer to this goal after signing an agreement with the world’s top high-power laser research infrastructure provider, ELI ERIC.

In a statement on Monday, HB11 said its new partner provides “coordinated access to three world-class laser facilities, aiming to increase its capabilities in R&D.”

According to its website, ELI (Extreme Light Infrastructure) has three facilities in the Czech Republic (ELI Beamlines), Hungary (ELI-ALPS) and Romania (ELI-NP) and offers “access to the world’s most intense and shortest-pulsed lasers.”

HB11 is commercialising a fusion method using boron pellets as a fuel, with a system of high-intensity lasers to achieve ignition.

It said its newly-announced collaboration will involve “development and manufacturing of microstructured laser targets to support experiments” at ELI facilities, and, importantly, establish the company “as a supplier of microstructured laser targets required for its laser experiments designed to expand the scientific possibilities of high energy density physics”.

It will also cover diagnostic tools for measuring plasma properties, experimental campaigns, career development for researchers, and publishing research scientific journals.

HB11’s Managing Director Dr Warren McKenzie said the ELI ERIC has laser resources that are not available in Australia, and “which are essential to advancing fusion into a clean energy technology. 

“ELI ERIC will leverage HB11 Energy’s strength as a supplier of micro-fabricated laser targets and fusion materials that will expand the scientific possibilities of both ELI ERIC and HB11 Energy.”

Those present for the signing included Petr Pavel, President of the Czech Republic, as well as NSW industry minister Anoulack Chanthivong, Jan Rafaj, President of the Czech Confederation of Industry, and David Harding, Executive Director of Business NSW. 

HB11 is based on research by Heinrich Hora, Professor Emeritus in Theoretical Physics of the University of New South Wales, whose bio states that “in the 1970s predicted that the HB11 approach would become viable when laser technology evolved to its current state.”

Further reading

Australia’s HB11 Energy aims for laser fusion energy

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