The speed at which the campus of Commonwealth Fusion Systems on Hospital Road in Devens has taken shape has been remarkable to watch.
In a little more than two years, the company has built its corporate headquarters, a manufacturing plant, and the fortress-like structure—now weather-tight, according to a company spokesperson—that will house its experimental SPARC fusion machine. Meanwhile the total number of employees has grown from a few dozen to more than 560; of that number, 330 work in Devens.
The goal? Development of a compact, commercially viable fusion power plant—called ARC—by the early 2030s, energized by the same process that fuels the sun and capable of supplying electricity to tens of thousands of homes, or powering energy-hungry facilities such as desalination or carbon-capture plants.
Bob Mumgaard, CEO and co-founder of Commonwealth Fusion Systems. (Courtesy photos)
Bob Mumgaard, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Commonwealth Fusion Systems, is coming to Harvard this month to explain the science behind SPARC and ARC, and to report his company’s progress. His talk is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m. in Volunteers Hall at the Harvard Public Library, where he will be the first speaker in the 2023-24 Warner Free Lecture series.
In his Sept. 15 talk, Mumgaard will explain how fusion works, why fusion technologies make sense now, and why Commonwealth Fusion chose Devens as its company headquarters and lab. He will also explain what makes the SPARC fusion machine unique and why the company’s scientists and engineers are confident it will work.
Because fusion is carbon-free and capable of producing enormous amounts of energy from the hydrogen abundantly available in water, devices like the one proposed by Commonwealth Fusion would add to the arsenal of energy sources needed to replace fossil fuel-burning facilities around the world and halt the release of gases responsible for the global warming that drives climate change.
“Time is our enemy,” Mumgaard said in a June 2023 video update (http://tinyurl.com/8a9szstp). “We’re trying to show that this technology can be an option for climate change.” Climate change is slow but huge, and potential solutions need to match its scale. “You need speed to get to scale, because you basically have to outrun it,” Mumgaard said.
As CEO Mumgaard is responsible for the strategic vision and direction of CFS. He co-founded the private company in 2018 and helped raise more than $2 billion in private investments.
Mumgaard did his Ph.D. work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he contributed to the design of several small fusion devices. Later, as an MIT fellow, Mumgaard organized and led a team identifying ways to combine private finance and traditional academic resources to speed the development of fusion energy. His work led to the founding of Commonwealth Fusion Systems and its unique collaboration with MIT.
Mumgaard holds a Ph.D. in applied plasma physics and a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from MIT, as well as bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and engineering physics from the University of Nebraska.
Hoping for a big turnout
Michael Kilian, chair of the Warner Free Lecture trustees, told the Press the trustees work a year in advance of a given lecture series “so we don’t necessarily enter the planning saying ‘this lecture should kick off the season.’” That being said, he’s hopeful there is a big turnout for the inaugural lecture. “One of our goals is to increase attendance at the lectures and to listen to feedback to build upon more than 130 years of presenting fascinating and educational speakers.”
While CFS provides few direct benefits to Harvard, Kilian noted, the company is pioneering an exciting technology that not only provides jobs locally but illustrates the value of education, one of Harvard’s primary values.
“If CFS succeeds,” Kilian added, “it will fundamentally alter how power is generated, taking a fundamental step toward mitigating anthropogenic climate change. Like education, preserving the natural environment is a core value of the town.”
The Commonwealth Fusion Systems campus at Devens. In foreground: building and structures that will house and support the SPARC experimental fusion device. Top center: CFS corporate headquarters building with manufacturing plant attached.
