Fusion Workshop: Making Tape in New York State

What is Happening in the Global Fusion Energy Industry?

Fusion startups have received over $17.88 billion globally, with more than 56 firms and 4,000 people working in this new industry—and investment continues to rise. Despite the challenges associated with fusion energy, there is a good chance that one of these organizations will demonstrate net power in the coming years. This would be the first time in human history that net power has been extracted from man-made nuclear fusion. MIT estimated that the fusion industry could create at least $3.6 trillion in economic impact, and the San Diego Economic Development Authority predicted that fusion could create 40,000 jobs for just the state of California.

Why Should New York State Make Superconductors?

To de-risk the state's position, New York State must sell stuff to this new industry, including optics, lasers, and other great products. For more than half of these firms, the key ingredient is superconducting tape—a manufactured product that is difficult to produce consistently and at scale. A conservative estimate is that the fusion industry will need at least 100 million meters to support this industry and build these power plants. Analysts have projected that the superconducting tape market could reach $15 billion by 2040 and $55 billion by 2050. Although fusion is the primary market, superconductors are also needed for medical devices, quantum computing, data centers, energy storage, military applications, offshore wind, and other industries.

What Are Superconducting Tapes?

This tape is a ceramic ribbon, approximately the width of a thumb, that can be hundreds of meters long. It is produced by depositing multiple crystalline layers through a nanofabrication process that is difficult to control and replicate. Engineers can stand at the end of a production line and obtain 300 meters of quality tape, followed by 700 meters of quality tape. Startups sidestep this through a quality assurance process that removes bad sections and welds the remaining tape to preserve superconducting effect. The production of superconducting tape would be an ideal challenge for New York's nanofabrication community in both the private and public sectors, and it is a product that is urgently needed by fusion startups.