Zap Energy shows off its new fusion power prototype, Century
Zap Energy recently raised a $130 million Series D to build its Century device, an approach to fusion power that sends bolts of electricity through plasma streams instead of using magnets or lasers to squeeze the plasma. The current generates a magnetic field that compresses the plasma, which results in fusion. The final commercial-scale model, which should produce 50 megawatts of electricity, will occupy a footprint around the size of a double-decker bus. This article provides an overview of how Zap's technology works and the problems the company has to overcome before its technology becomes commercially viable.