Thea Energy, MIT collaborate on testing stellarator magnet technology

[Marlin]

Thea Energy, MIT collaborate on testing stellarator magnet technology

https://www.ans.org/news/2026-11-06/article-8563/thea-energy-mit-collaborate-on-testing-stellarator-magnet-technology/

[Core Content]

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will test a full-scale encircling magnet coil for Thea Energy's Eos fusion device. The evaluation at the Plasma Science and Fusion Center will assess the high-temperature superconducting hardware under full magnetic loads and simulated power plant conditions. The data will support Thea Energy's goal of operating a demonstration facility by 2030 and a commercial plant by 2035.

Stellarator developer Thea Energy has announced that it is collaborating with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on the testing and validation of an encircling magnet coil for the fusion firm's Eos stellarator. The work will take place at MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC) in Cambridge, Mass.

Thea's Eos stellarator design has a flattened, planar magnet architecture consisting of 12 encircling coils and about 300 programmable shaping magnets. This planar system offers a simpler, mass-manufacturable design that can reduce construction time, costs, and maintenance cycles, compared with previous three-dimensional stellarator magnet coil system designs.

Read the full article at ans.org:
https://www.ans.org/news/2026-11-06/article-8563/thea-energy-mit-collaborate-on-testing-stellarator-magnet-technology/