Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has resigned as board chair of Helion, a fusion energy startup he supports, during preliminary discussions between OpenAI and Helion. This potential collaboration could secure OpenAI a 12.5% share of Helion’s power production, targeting five gigawatts by 2030 and 50 gigawatts by 2035. In 2023, OpenAI’s partner Microsoft signed a similar agreement with Helion, aiming to procure power from 2028 onwards.
Should these projections from Axios be accurate, it indicates Helion’s ambition to significantly scale its production capabilities. Each fusion reactor is expected to generate 50 megawatts, necessitating the installation of 800 reactors by 2030, and an additional 7,200 by 2035. Although Helion has not confirmed the negotiations with OpenAI, a representative stated that Altman’s departure from the board might open pathways for collaboration in the future.
David Kirtley, Helion’s CEO, announced Altman’s resignation after more than ten years, stating it would enable both entities to partner in delivering zero-carbon electricity globally. Helion is aggressively working toward its first commercial-scale reactor, which would give it a competitive edge in the fusion energy sector, where many firms anticipate commercial operations in the early 2030s.
The startup secured $425 million in funding last year from various investors, including Altman, along with firms like Mithril, Lightspeed, and SoftBank. While many fusion companies follow traditional methods of generating electricity by converting heat from fusion reactions through steam turbines, Helion is innovating a distinct approach. It aims to harness fusion energy directly through magnetic systems.
Inside Helion’s unique hourglass reactor, fusion fuel transitions into plasma at either end, pushed towards each other with magnetic fields until they collide at the centre. Another magnetic system then compresses the plasma until fusion occurs, converting the energy released directly into electricity. The company has been operating its Polaris prototype, achieving plasma temperatures of 150 million degrees Celsius—nearing the 200 million degrees Celsius deemed necessary for commercial operations.
Despite stepping down from Helion’s board, Altman’s influence in fostering these partnerships remains evident. His previous resignation from Oklo, a small modular nuclear reactor startup, followed a similar pattern to enable strategic alliances with AI firms, including OpenAI. Helion’s evolving partnership landscape could signify a pivotal shift in the energy sector, particularly towards sustainable solutions as they work to commercialise fusion energy.
In summary, as Altman transitions out of his role at Helion, it opens avenues for possible collaboration between Helion and OpenAI, aiming to innovate the energy landscape while driving advances in clean and sustainable power generation.
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