Helion Energy, a fusion power company developing a pulsed, non-ignition fusion device, has entered a power purchase agreement with Microsoft. This is the latter’s first deal with a nuclear-fusion company.

Under this agreement, Microsoft intends to buy an undisclosed amount of power that is expected to be generated by Helion’s first fusion plant, which is expected to come online in 2028 and produce ~50 MW of energy. 

The agreement with Helion is expected to support Microsoft in its goal of being carbon negative by 2030, although it will make up less than 1% of Microsoft’s total power purchase agreements for carbon-free energy, which is at 13.5 GW. Currently, no company has achieved commercially viable fusion energy.

Founded in 2013, Helion Energy is a fusion power company developing a pulsed, non-ignition fusion device that uses deuterium and helium-3 as fuel. The company has created six prototypes and is working on its seventh to demonstrate net electricity from fusion and helium-3 from deuterium fusion by 2024. Helion has also claimed to be the first private company to reach 100 million degrees Celsius plasma temperatures.