Zap Energy’s nuclear double play: Fusion implementation adds traditional separation to your system, an industry first
Zap Energy announced plans Wednesday to become the first company to simultaneously pursue two nuclear energy tracks: fusion, an unproven but promising technology that smashes lighter atoms together to produce energy, and fission, the better-known nuclear path that already powers reactors around the world by splitting heavier atoms.
To support these two goals, Zap has named Zabrina Johal as CEO, succeeding company founder Benj Conway, who is transitioning to president.
Fusion founders have generally drawn a fine line between their nuclear solution and conventional fission, given public concerns about past reactor meltdowns and radioactive waste.
But Zap leaders say the distinction creates a “false wall” that the Everett, Wash., company is ready to tear down.
“Fission and fusion are two expressions of the same basic physics,” Conway said in a statement. “This is not a pivot – by consolidating it into one place, we can move faster, reduce risk, and build a more sustainable company.”
The planet is desperate for new sources of energy and many customers and governments are eager to find solutions that do not emit carbon and contribute to climate change. The demand is growing as technology companies rush to set up AI-enabled data centers as the transportation, real estate and industrial sectors electrify their operations.
Zap has been developing its commercial cogeneration technology since its launch nine years ago, building the cogeneration equipment and systems needed to bring that power to the grid. It has raised more than $330 million from investors and was selected to participate in the Department of Energy’s integration development program.
But getting fusion’s physics right — actually recreating the reaction that fuels the sun in a spacecraft — is uncertain and expensive. While many companies around the world are chasing efficient fusion power, none have succeeded so far.
Building next-generation fission technology is more predictable and will provide revenue faster, the startup says, while at the same time supporting research that improves its fusion activity. The company’s goal is to have a fission solution for sale in the early 2030s, according to the New York Times, which first reported the news.
Joal started his career as an officer and engineer in advancing nuclear weapons for the US Navy and previously spent 18 years with General Atomics leading strategic development of its nuclear and defense portfolios. Most recently, he was with AtkinsRéalis, a Montreal engineering firm specializing in nuclear energy.
The company also named Daniel Walter, a former director at TerraPower – a close nuclear company backed by Bill Gates – as director of nuclear engineering. Zap vice president Matthew Thompson is now SVP of fission technology and will work on both technology platforms.
Other fusion companies have similarly pursued other ways to make money. Seattle’s Avalanche Energy, for example, has many initiatives, including work on compact nuclear batteries, integration of space applications, and advanced materials for high-risk areas.
Zap is the first, however, to add the development of fission reactors to the mix. Traditional nuclear has seen a revival driven by demand for electricity. The US government is investing in fission innovation and fast-tracking permits in the sector, and technology companies are paying to keep existing reactors online while supporting startups pursuing smaller, cheaper and faster designs that use factory-built components.
Zap has been developing its nuclear program for the past year and is looking to develop microreactors that share nearly the physical dimensions of its planned assembly device.
The company’s approach builds on technology from the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II), which was developed and tested over decades at US national laboratories. The strategy was later adopted by Toshiba with its 4S (Super-Safe, Small and Simple) reactor, although that project changed in the post-Fukushima climate of hostility to nuclear power – despite the fact that the 4S design itself had nothing to do with the technology of the Fukushima reactor.
Zap said it is now revising Toshiba’s design, which includes a 10 megawatt microreactor cooled with liquid sodium that can run for decades without refueling. The method was attractive in part because Zap’s fusion device uses liquid lithium, which works in the same way as sodium.
“Zap’s approach is to build common technology foundations — materials, liquid metal systems, high energy density design, and neutron fields — and apply them to all fission and fusion,” the company said.
The startup is convinced that customers are hungry for both types of nuclear power.
“Meeting that demand requires simple, flexible systems and a fast way to deploy,” Joal said. “Fission gives us a way to grow. Fusion gives us a way to transform. Fusion is how we do both.”
