Avalanche Energy Announces New FusionWERX Test Facility to Accelerate Commercial Fusion Development

RICHLAND, Wash., April 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Avalanche Energy, a fusion energy startup developing modular compact fusion machines, today announced the launch of FusionWERX, its new fusion test facility located in Richland, Washington. FusionWERX is intended to serve as a first-of-its-kind commercial-scale testing facility for advanced fusion technologies, offering access to private companies, universities, national laboratories, and public-private consortia working to accelerate the path to commercial fusion power.

FusionWERX will operate under a broad-scope radioactive materials license and will have one of the most advanced tritium handling capacities available in the private sector when fully licensed and operational. This unique licensing framework positions FusionWERX as a critical enabler for fusion research and development, supply chain advancement, and workforce training within a flexible intellectual property environment.

"FusionWERX is going to be the fusion industry's equivalent of a commercial wind tunnel - an open-access facility where new ideas, technologies, and components can be tested and validated," said Robin Langtry, Co-Founder and CEO of Avalanche Energy. "From novel neutron sources to tritium handling systems, FusionWERX will provide the essential test infrastructure our industry will increasingly need to mature technologies and build out the fusion supply chain."

The FusionWERX facility will incorporate several key systems designed to support a wide range of fusion concepts and applications:

• High flux fusion neutron sources based on Avalanche's proprietary Orbitron platform, providing tunable neutron energy environments from high energy 14.1 megaelectron volts (MeV) to thermal neutrons for materials testing and fusion system validation.
• Blanket and shielding test beds that will enable the demonstration of purpose-fit technologies applicable to multiple plasma and fusion device architectures.
• Hot cells designed for remote handling, processing, and analysis of activated materials.
• Integrated tritium management systems capable of extracting, purifying, and recycling tritium for continuous experimental operation.

FusionWERX is strategically located in the Tri-Cities region - the Energy Hub of Washington and the Pacific Northwest - to leverage the area's deep nuclear and scientific expertise, established supply chains, and a highly skilled workforce of over 5,000 energy professionals. The region is also home to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, a leader in energy technology research with a $1 billion federal research budget and 4,200 employees. Additionally, Washington State University's (WSU) Tri-Cities campus offers a well-regarded nuclear engineering and materials program. FusionWERX is located in a facility owned by the Port of Benton, the former location of Kurion's modular detritiation prototype facility, which was previously licensed for tritium operations.

"Just as the United States chose the Tri-Cities to build the first fission reactor in 1943, we are overjoyed that Avalanche Energy will build the first-of-a-kind FusionWERX commercial-scale testbed in our region," said Karl Dye, President and CEO of the Tri-Cities Development Council.  "Our entire community stands ready to support Avalanche Energy in their vision to create the fusion energy supply, right here in the Tri-Cities."

"Building FusionWERX in Richland is about more than infrastructure - it's about creating a collaborative ecosystem where the fusion industry can thrive," Langtry added. "We believe this facility will be a key enabler in accelerating fusion's transition from the lab to real world energy applications. We have some excellent partners lined up to help achieve this namely the Tri-Cities Development Council (TRIDEC), Port of Benton, Washington State, WSU and PNNL, and we look forward to adding to that list".

"The Tri-Cities is where clean energy innovators find the infrastructure, resources and momentum needed to reach what's next and shape the future," said Diahann Howard, Port of Benton Executive Director. "We are excited that Avalanche Energy has selected our community to launch its groundbreaking fusion test facility, helping advance our state's energy goals."

With the launch of the FusionWERX facility, Avalanche also announced that it agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Fusion Fuel Cycles (FFC), one of the world's leading providers of fusion fuel cycle technologies. The collaboration will include research, development, demonstration, and commercialization of technologies critical to the commercial fusion industry including neutron sources, tritium breeding blankets, deuterium-tritium (D-T) fuel cycle systems, and integrated test facilities for materials and tritium research.

"FFC is delighted to be working with Avalanche Energy to support the launch of the FusionWERX facility utilizing our unique tritium expertise," said Ian Castillo and Yuhei Nozoe, Co-CEOs of FFC. "We believe this facility will significantly advance science and technology gaps that apply broadly to fusion reactor concepts that need to be tested in a tritiated environment."

Avalanche plans to bring FusionWERX online in phases, with initial construction slated to begin in summer 2025. The company is actively engaging with partners interested in accessing the facility for upcoming fusion programs and collaborative development projects.

Along with managing the FusionWERX operations, Avalanche intends to incubate a number of neutron-enabled businesses focused on imaging/sensing, radiation effects testing, and fusion materials development. The site will also be the location where Avalanche will operate its Q>1 deuterium-tritium test program with the goal of developing the world's first net-energy compact fusion reactor system.

"Microreactors like Avalanche's Orbitron could revolutionize military bases, remote communities, and even space exploration," said Senator Matt Boehnke, WA State Senator for the 8^th Legislative District. "By embracing fusion, we reduce reliance on foreign energy and strengthen both our grid and our national security—a priority for a region that helped win the Cold War."

Avalanche has achieved a number of major technical milestones over the past three years in its path to net energy production. In 2023, the company achieved a record 200kV in its fusion device, making it the highest known operating voltage of any fusion device. In 2024, Avalanche published a peer reviewed journal paper on its novel Orbitron fusion plasma confinement scheme and the company has continued to advance that technology with the near-term goals of developing efficient, high flux steady state neutron production and fusion rates.

About Avalanche Fusion
Avalanche Energy is a venture-backed, fusion energy start-up based in Seattle, WA. Avalanche's modular design can be stacked for near-endless power applications and unprecedented energy density to provide clean energy for applications in austere and grid-challenged settings (space propulsion, underwater UAVs, data centers, etc). This unique approach enables rapid iterations of design, build, test, and fix cycles for faster development and scalability. To learn more, visit avalanchefusion.com.

SOURCE Avalanche Energy