Zap Energy fusion test platform sets internal record in plasma shots

Zap Energy, a US-based fusion engineering company, has achieved a significant milestone with its Century test platform by operating over 100 plasma shots at a frequency of 0.2 Hz, delivering 39 kilowatts of power to the plasma chamber. This performance marks a 20-fold increase in sustained average power since the platform’s commissioning in 2024. The Century platform is designed to test the integration of key subsystems for a potential commercial fusion power plant, including a repetitive pulsed power system, durable electrodes, and liquid metal walls that absorb and transfer plasma energy. Importantly, the platform does not use fusion fuel or produce fusion reactions but provides crucial operational data on the system components. Zap Energy’s unique approach, called sheared-flow-stabilized (SFS) Z-pinch, confines and compresses plasma using a pulse of electricity and the plasma’s own magnetic field, avoiding the need for superconducting magnets or high-intensity lasers. Recent upgrades to the platform include a liquid metal