PR Newswire·Oct 8, 2026, 8:47 AM ET

The Unconventional Route to Fusion Power Just Hit a World First

ARM ASML GFUZ NVDA BE

General Fusion achieved a world-first milestone by heating plasma to over 12 million degrees Celsius (more than 1 keV) using its Magnetized Target Fusion technology with practical low-speed compression.
The Lawson Machine 26 (LM26) reached this temperature, marking the first time any fusion machine has reached 1 keV using low-speed compression rather than superconducting magnets or high-powered lasers.
Measurements confirmed 1.1 keV just prior to peak compression via Thomson scattering instruments and 1.2 keV at peak compression using absolute extreme ultraviolet (AXUV) data, both conducted with the UK Atomic Energy Authority.
The plasma demonstrated stable behavior with ion temperatures doubling, alongside expected increases in plasma density and magnetic field strength.
This 1 keV result represents the first of three key technical milestones for LM26, with upgrades underway to reach the second target of 10 keV.
CEO Greg Twinney stated the company plans to reach the Lawson criterion by the end of 2028 and aims to operate a first-of-a-kind commercial plant around 2035.
The article also highlighted market developments for other technology companies, including Bloom Energy's record revenue growth driven by AI data center demand, ASML's progress in EUV lithography, NVIDIA's surge in data center revenue, and Arm's growing demand for AI infrastructure.
The text includes extensive disclaimers noting that the article is a paid advertisement, that fusion results are preliminary, and that investment in General Fusion carries high risk.