UK-based nuclear fusion company First Light Fusion has set out what it says is the first “reactor-compatible” pathway to high-gain inertial fusion energy (IFE), a potential breakthrough that could enable commercially viable, low-cost fusion power.

In a white paper, First Light detailed its new concept, known as Flare (Fusion via Low-power Assembly and Rapid Excitation), which could achieve an energy gain of up to 1,000.