A groundbreaking achievement in nuclear fusion technology has emerged from an unexpected source in Wellington, New Zealand. OpenStar, a modest startup founded by Ratu Mataira in 2021, has successfully generated and contained plasma at approximately 300,000 degrees Celsius for 20 seconds in its inaugural experimental reactor, accomplishing this feat with an investment of less than £10 million.
The company’s innovative approach challenges conventional reactor designs by implementing a revolutionary “inside-out” configuration. Unlike traditional tokamak reactors, which utilise external magnets, OpenStar’s design levitates a high-temperature superconducting magnet within the superheated plasma, containing it within the magnet’s north-to-south field lines.
This distinctive design offers significant advantages in terms of scalability and modification potential. The system’s current iteration can operate for 80 minutes before requiring a recharge, with the levitating magnet powered by battery technology. Professor Dennis Whyte from MIT, who also co-founded Commonwealth Fusion Systems, has expressed enthusiasm for OpenStar’s achievement, describing it as “an exciting option” among fusion approaches.
Despite New Zealand’s stringent nuclear-free legislation enacted in 1987, OpenStar’s operations comply with the country’s radiation safety regulations. The company emphasises the crucial distinction between nuclear fission and fusion, highlighting fusion’s absence of radioactive waste production.
The startup’s financial trajectory includes plans for a series A investment round in early 2025, with estimated future funding requirements between £500 million and £1 billion to fully validate all technical aspects. OpenStar maintains an optimistic outlook, projecting commercial viability for nuclear fusion technology within six years.
Mataira underscores the urgency of their mission, stating that fusion technology’s potential role in decarbonising the energy sector drives their accelerated development timeline. The achievement marks a significant milestone in the global race to harness fusion power as a sustainable energy solution.
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