U.S. zero-carbon fusion energy startup Helion raises $500 mln
U.S. zero-carbon fusion energy startup Helion raises $500 mln
By Jane Lanhee Lee
作者：李兰熙(Jane Lanhee Lee)
Nov 5 (Reuters) - Helion Energy, a fusion energy tech startup, on Friday said it raised $500 million to build a net positive electrical generator, one that creates more power than it uses.
路透11月5日电-聚变能源技术初创公司Helion Energy周五表示，该公司筹集了5亿美元，用于建造一台净正电发电机，这种发电机产生的电力比使用的要多.
The latest round values the company at $3 billion. Helion said $1.7 billion in follow on investments were committed if it can prove its technology works, which would be a major step toward making fusion technology a practical solution for generating power while emitting no carbon.
最新一轮融资对该公司的估值为30亿美元。Helion表示，如果能够证明其技术可行，将承诺17亿美元的后续投资，这将是朝着使聚变技术成为发电的实用解决方案而同时不排放碳迈出的重要一步。
Fusion is the process that fires the sun as the nuclei of two atoms fuse under extreme heat. It creates enormous amounts of energy.
核聚变是两个原子核在极端高温下融合时点燃太阳的过程。它产生了巨大的能量。
Helion’s newest prototype named Polaris will add a so-called regenerative energy technology to its fusion technology already developed to generate electricity, said Helion founder and CEO David Kirtley. The target date for demonstration is 2024.
Helion创始人兼首席执行官David Kirtley表示，Helion的最新原型名为北极星(Polaris)，将在其已经开发的发电聚变技术中添加一种所谓的再生能源技术。示威的目标日期是2024年。
The company broke ground in Everett, Washington in July to build the generator which will be the size of two shipping containers and create enough electricity to power 40,000 homes, said Kirtley. If it works, the $1.7 billion follow-on investments will be used to develop a commercial system, he said.
柯特利说，该公司7月份在华盛顿州埃弗雷特破土动工，建造了两个海运集装箱大小的发电机，产生的电力足以为4万户家庭供电。他说，如果成功，17亿美元的后续投资将用于开发一个商业系统。
“There's a real future for fusion to be part of this climate change and clean energy discussion,” said Kirtley, adding that other fusion energy companies were also pushing the timeline forward. He said there were over 40 private fusion companies today.
柯特利说：“聚变是气候变化和清洁能源讨论的一部分，这是一个真正的未来。”他补充说，其他聚变能源公司也在推进时间表。他说，今天有40多家私营核聚变公司。
Fusion has advantages over fission as the fuel is derived from water, not radioactive uranium or plutonium and doesn’t generate long-term radioactive waste.
聚变比裂变更有优势，因为燃料来自水，而不是放射性铀或钚，而且不会产生长期的放射性废物。
Sam Altman, a well-known investor and artificial intelligence researcher in Silicon Valley who led the round, said the long-term goal of Helion is not just to create clean energy but electricity that costs just one cent a kilowatt hour.
主导这轮融资的硅谷知名投资者和人工智能研究员萨姆·奥尔特曼(Sam Altman)表示，Helion的长期目标不仅是创造清洁能源，而且是创造每千瓦时只需1美分的电力。
“I hope we have the best idea, but what I really care about is that someone gets fusion built and globally deployed as quickly as possible,” said Altman.
奥特曼说：“我希望我们有最好的想法，但我真正关心的是，有人能尽快建造聚变，并在全球部署。”
(Reporting By Jane Lanhee Lee; Editing by David Gregorio)
(Jane Lanhee Lee报道；David Gregorio编辑)
((jane.lee@thomsonreuters.com; +1-415-344-3912; Reuters Messaging: jane.lee.thomsonreuters@reuters.net))
(jane.lee@thomsonreurs.com；+1-415-344-3912；路透社消息：jane.lee.thomsonreuters@reurs.net)